


The Wrath of War

by nikilaughsalot



Category: Attack on Titan, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, attack on, 進撃の巨人 | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan (Movies)
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Semi-Public Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:33:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 62,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikilaughsalot/pseuds/nikilaughsalot
Summary: After the fall of Shiganshina, Eden Chiasa made a vow to join the Scout Regiment with her three closest friends. After spending three years training to reach her fixed goals; she manages to secure a place in the Special Operations Squad. But, what happens when no matter how hard she tries to prove herself, the Captain of the Squad manages to make her life utter Purgatory on Earth?
Relationships: Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Character(s), Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s), Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman x Original Character, Levi Ackerman/ Original Character
Comments: 90
Kudos: 214





	1. Perseverance

“Eden Chiasa!” 

She stepped forward; fingernails digging into her enclosed palms. She raised her stoic glare up to meet the leveled eyes of Chief Instructor Keith Shadis.

“Sir, yes sir!” She bellowed, formally saluting him before stepping back next to her peers. He scribbled on the parchment in his hands and moved onwards. 

“Mikasa Ackerman!” 

Time dribbled through their fingers as the Instructor checked each individual longing to become a cadet. Sometimes he’d sneer, drawl out a sarcastic comment even. But when his cold eyes landed on the four kids who had first-hand experiences with what a Titan is capable of doing; he seemed to have swallowed his tongue. 

Eden glanced at Armin, nudging him slightly, offering him a warm smile. He returned one that did not reach his deep, blue eyes. 

-

_Eren, Mikasa, Eden and Armin had grown up together within the protected walls encapsulating Shiganshina. Hand-in-hand, Eden and Mikasa would scare off older boys looking to pick a fight with their friends._

_They would also often chase each other, the boys usually playing the roles of raging Titans whilst the girls would act like mighty generals and intimidating captains able to destroy the incoming monsters with the throw of a pebble._

_They were siblings- not by blood; but siblings regardless. Eden was two-years older than the rest, therefore she would always act like a motherly figure, tending to both the boys, as well as Mikasa after she was done dealing with their bullies._

_And so, when Wall Rose was breached and all hell broke loose, Eden found herself lost amidst the chaos and turmoil surrounding her. By the time she sprinted back to her home; a Titan had already made a visit. Blood was splattered across her family’s front yard, the front door smashed open. She edged closer, her entire body gripped by uncontrollable trembling. She vaguely recognized the severed hand lying on the front porch through her thick tears._

_A massive head popped up above her house’s roof; beady eyes hungrily staring down at the 13-year old girl. Eden was petrified, her entire body planted to the ground, her mind racing with lost thoughts. The Titan clicked its jaw and a terrible crack punctured through the air before blood began seeping out of its mouth._

_That seemed to pull Eden out of her reverie; urging her to turn around and never look back._

_She ran and ran, despite her muscles begging for a break, her lungs threatening to burst any minute. She headed towards Eren and Mikasa’s home, only to be met by Hannes gripping her two friends; the boy violently screeching and thrashing._

_Hannes looked down at her; a painting of grief, fear and shock glossed over his eyes._

_“What the hell are you doing here, kid?”_

_“I-I, my parents, they-...” Eden tried, her tongue denying her the ability to utter out what she had just witnessed. Hannes’ eyes widened, his hand reaching for the girl’s wrist._

_“We need to go. It isn’t safe for you to be walking around the district right now.” Ignoring Eren’s continued pleads and sobs, the Garrison soldier held the three broken children and led them to safety._

_Hours had passed, the screaming had slowly started dying down. The streets reeked of blood and a putrid smell Eden couldn’t connect to anything she recognized. She sat huddled up by Mikasa and Eren; Armin sitting before them._

_“This isn’t real. It can’t be. I-I cannot let anyone else feel the pain I just felt when I saw that Titan and...my mother...” Eren began, his eyes pooling with tears. Eden placed her head on one of his shoulders; Mikasa doing the same on his other side. Armin shifted his gaze downwards._

_“I will sign up to become one of them,” Eren continued, stare piercing through the soldiers hurrying past them._

_“Then I will join you,” Eden mumbled- her mind flickering back to the horrors she too- had seen a few hours back._

_“Me too,” Mikasa and Armin said at the same time, earning the tiniest flicker of a smile from Eren before he glowered, looking ahead._

_“We will become the strongest soldiers to ever walk this Earth. No Titan will be able to stop us. And when the Colossal Titan comes back; I will be ready for him. They_ **_will_ ** _pay.”_

_It began raining heavily, causing the children to huddle even closer to each other._

-

That was five years ago, and for some unknown reason, Eden’s mind fluttered back to Eren’s unbroken promise. They were really going through with this plan. 

Now, at the ripe ages of 16 and Eden being 18; they enrolled in the Training Corps- a severely difficult three years of training lying ahead of them. Eden’s blood seared through her veins, mixing with the adrenaline this thought gave her. The ends of her hair brushed against her shoulders as the wind caressed her face sweetly. 

She had nothing else to lose. She was ready. 


	2. Semblance

The next three years passed like the blink of an eye. 

The cadets’ routine was ruthless; waking up before the sun was out, training until their muscles made them crumble to the floor; feasting on the tiny amount of rations they were allowed to have. 

The cycle deeply reflected Eden and her physique. Gone were her baby cheeks, rather replaced with sunken cheekbones and a defined jawline. Although she was barely 5′2; the rancorous training had made her build a lot of muscle- which remained veiled under her delicate-looking body. But it was definitely there. 

Her pale face held large, beautiful hazel eyes always focused on an agenda. Her teeth were constantly tugging on the flesh of her full lips- leaving them bruised and colored all shades of purple. 

Eden had a very tough time learning to balance in her ODM gear. Mikasa was a natural, Armin learned quickly and even Eren- who experienced difficulties as well- managed to prosper. 

But with the older girl, she just couldn’t find the peace in her soul to simply let go and effortlessly balance like the others did. 

It even took overtime for her to manage harmonizing with her equipment. And it was heavy. The first week of learning how to use the ODM gear; she could barely get up of her bed without biting back tears of pain. 

Sparring was different. Her height and weight allowed her to gain momentum and slip out of dangerous situations; even in the last moment. She loved sparring with her friends, although she would always drag them to the infirmary afterwards to ensure all was good. 

Eden would mostly keep to herself if she wasn’t around her friends. She was on civil terms with the rest of the team; but she always preferred some alone time. Which is why she loved sneaking out after curfew and take walks amidst the coldness of the nighttime weather.

“What the hell are you doing out here, Eden?” A gruff voice broke through the semblance surrounding the girl. She winced slightly, narrowed eyes looking into the darkness. 

“What does a girl have to do to get some alone time around here?” 

A snort erupted through the darkness again; the broad figure moving to sit beside her. In the dim aura; Eden barely managed to catch a glimpse of Jean’s chiseled jaw clenching. 

“You ready for tomorrow?” He asked her, running a hand over his tamed, blond undercut. 

It was now Eden’s turn to scoff. “I have no clue. The final exam beat me to a pulp. I just need to know whether I aced it.” 

Jean let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head as he placed his elbows against his knees. “You must be joking. If you’re worried about how you did; then the rest of us are fucked.” 

Eden’s fingers stroked the ground beneath her; the coarseness of the sand juxtaposing the soft, delicate skin on her palms.

“We’re all fucked nonetheless. I mean, we’re basically signing up to be a Titan’s meal someday. Stupid...” She clicked her tongue, eyes focusing on the pebble held between her dainty fingers. Jean gently took it out of her grasp and threw it in the nearby stream. 

“I guess. But, we’ve already signed up as Titans’ meals the moment we appeared on this Earth. We’re just increasing our chances right now.” 

Eden paused, her teeth pulling at the cracks formed against her lips. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, feeling the metallic taste pool in her mouth; urging her to stop. 

“Eren, Mikasa...Armin. I need to know that they’ll be okay. We vowed to become part of the Survey Corps branch. But I sense destruction. I can taste the pain and suffering humanity will experience. I don’t know what or when this will happen; but when the Titans do come back; our plan will come to life. And then, the chances of being killed will heighten. If something were to happen to them...I-I...I don’t know what I’ll do...” Eden squeezed her eyes shut, sucking in a deep breath as she turned her head away from the cadet beside her. 

Jean placed a large hand on her shoulder, squeezing her slightly- but remained silent. 

They remained quiet until the grasshopper’s songs grew louder; inviting them to go back to the barracks and sleep through the few hours before their graduation. 


	3. Skepticism

_Success._

Eden felt as though her heart would jump through her lungs and out of her chest. 

She was one of the top ten cadets in the 104th Southern Division. Scoring third after Mikasa and Reiner. 

In all honesty, she couldn’t care less about being part of the top ten. It wouldn’t change the fact that she would sign up as part of the Survey Corps. She just wanted to know that when she challenged herself; she was able to succeed; regardless of whether the mission held meaning to her. 

Eren pulled her and Mikasa into a tight embrace after the ceremony; Armin running to join in as well. They laughed and smiled; Eden felt like she was listening to the most beautiful song in the world. 

The fierce girl held rare moments like this protected behind the walls of her tender heart. Within pages of a book concealed from the outside world. 

_That book was filled with memories of her and her friends. Her parents’ faces were barely visible on any of the pages._

_Her childhood wouldn’t necessarily be classed as tough. But it made her struggle as she grew; the lack of parental affection making her yearn to fill the void with all the love her friends would gift her. She was an only child; her mother wasn’t the exact epitome of a loving parent and her father was too busy with work; he almost always forgot when her birthday was each year._

_Eden grew to never depend on others (apart from her friends, of course); because she knew that no one in this world owed her anything and all luxuries came with a price._

Brushing her cold thoughts aside; Eden beamed against Eren’s jacket, eyes widening at the sound of Mikasa’s soft chuckle. She looked up; her own shock reflected in tboth boys. 

The naturally somber mood soon came back and settled around everyone. Eden was so used to seeing glares, frowns and listening to gruff voices; the flicker of a smile was incredibly strange.

“This is it guys. We’re so close, I can practically feel the ODM gear strapped onto me as we fight these fuckers beyond the walls,” Eren announced darkly, tongue gliding against his lips. Armin nodded and Mikasa’s eyes sparkled. 

Eden sucked in a deep breath, lashes brushing against her skin as her eyes slipped shut. 

Soon, all this training would pay off. Her life would have a grander meaning. 

She smirked. 

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Eden huffed as she listened to Jean swearing under his breath beside her. Freshly graduated, her division was tasked with cleaning the artillery unit atop Wall Rose. 

No one verbally complained- but everyone looked very much disappointed. Each cadet yearned and thought over what their future branch would entail. 

Suddenly, all their thoughts were cut short by a figure which loomed over the wall, making their blood run cold. 

Commands were yelled out, ODM gears were tightened and the sound of the shrieks echoed through the air. 

But with a loud crack, the Colossal Titan disappeared as quickly as it appeared. There was no time left. 

The fresh cadets mixed with the Trost Garrison unit; intently listening to the strategy that could potentially cost them their lives. 

Eden was split up from Eren and Armin; tasked to accompany Mikasa and the elite Garrison unit with ensuring that all civilians were evacuated away from the northern gate’s rear. 

The girl did not know when the wall was breached; when the Titans swarmed in. It all happened way too quickly; she didn’t have enough time to catch her breath before the soldiers around her began dropping dead. 

Squeezing the grapple hooks of her ODM gear, the clasps sunk into the flesh of a titan with its back facing her way. Activating the gas mechanism, Eden propelled herself forward, heart beating soundly as her mind assured her that it was all a game. 

_Just another mindless target like the ones we trained on during our time with the Training Corps._

Twisting her blades through the air, she let out a bloodcurdling scream as the surface of her weapons carved out the back of the titan’s nape. A moment later, it crumbled to the ground; the girl standing on its back hooking her clasps onto the wall of the closet building. 

Eden felt nauseous. She begged her mind to stop racing. She needed to focus. 

Soldiers around her fought for their lives only to be ripped into shreds between the teeth of the inhumane murderers. 

Following Mikasa, they battled hard against the seemingly infinite swarm of titans gushing through the breached wall. It was only when Armin’s cry reached her ears caused her to lose her concentration; that flicker of a second nearly costing the girl her life. Meticulously slicing the titan’s fingers off; she sprinted up its arm; her next blow aimed at its nape. 

Too many of _them_ , too little soldiers. 

Eden abandoned her post, slaughtering any monster in her way as she looked for Armin and Eren. 

She found the blond boy with his head down, skin a sickly green color, eyes flowing with tears. Her own hazel eyes widened, cold chills peppering her skin. 

“Armin, where’s Eren?” 

Nothing. 

She asked him again, this time harder only to have his eyes meet hers in response. She took a step back. His answer had a cost of over one thousand words. 

Her mind must have completely blanked out- she didn’t notice Mikasa’s presence who had followed her back to their friend. She didn’t notice how her fellow raven-haired friend sprinted off the rooftop soundlessly, fingers pressing on the gas mechanism recklessly. 

Eden no longer had control over her body. Throwing herself into the sea of titans, she slashed and punctured every demon in her way. 

It was only when she heard the unfamiliar screech that something snapped in her- waking her of the nightmare reverie that took control of her body. Grief.

Still bruised and bloodied, Mikasa, Armin and Eden helped Eren up as he silently fumed at the confrontation. The Garrison Regiment...everyone was afraid of him. They had pointed canons at the four soldiers; their lives saved by Armin’s persuasion abilities that miraculously worked on Commander Pixis. 

Hurriedly making her way beside Mikasa, they jumped from one rooftop to the other; eyes planted on Eren. 

_Eren was a titan._

He had let out that same screech that had made everything tremble around Eden. Eren was responsible for saving all the surviving soldiers during the Battle of Trost. He had thrown himself to rip apart any titan in his way. 

Now, it was their duty to protect him as he risked his life to seal the breached wall. 

It took time and effort and a few more lost lives; but eventually Eren carried the boulder atop his shoulders; wedging it in between the broken wall. Eden and Mikasa followed him closely; taking turns mutilating incoming titans as the other one trained her eyes onto Eren. 

Once Mikasa had pulled Eren’s unconscious body out of his titan form; Eden swore under her breath as they backed up against the sealed breach. More titans headed their way. 

Eden tore her eyes away for them, raising a brow at Mikasa. 

“How much gas do you have left?” 

Mikasa checked her mechanism, shaking her head slightly. Eden nodded, flexing her wrists as she gripped her blades tightly. Activating her hooks, she gracefully flew through the air towards the first titan. A tall, incredibly ugly-looking titan. She clicked her tongue as she moved out of reach when it swung at her. She drove her dagger through its flesh, grinning as its blood sizzled against her blade. 

It was almost like a dance to her. Whipping through the air; carving through its nape; jumping off its back and onto the next victim. She felt like she could drown in the exhilarating feeling their deaths gave her. Knowing that one less person would suffer the traumatic scene she had witnessed when she was at the tender age of 13. 

After God knows how many slashed titans; Eden landed on the shoulder of an Abnormal. Her brows knitted together, she mustered enough energy to strike its spinal cord before someone clashed into her from the side. 

She gasped, panic overwhelming her as she struggled against the tight hold latched on her waist. A soft “tch” echoed through the air. Eden opened her eyes in confusion; her ponytail coming undone as her savior gripped her painfully tightly. She stared up at him puzzled; his bored, hooded stare, clenched jaw and knitted brows. 

Before she knew it; the man had thrown her onto the ground beside Mikasa carelessly; his compact green cape flowing with the wind as his silver eyes landed on her face for the first time. 

“Idiot. Did they not teach you to keep an eye out on your surroundings? Where is the Alpha Squad?” He inquired, his voice cold and emotionless. But the contortion of his expression betrayed how deeply irritated he was with Eden. 

“It’s just...us right now,” Eden replied, her tone reflecting his own, causing the man’s eyes to narrow dangerously. He scoffed, muttering an insult under his breath directed towards Eden before grabbing at his blades and heading back towards the titans. 

Eden felt the goosebumps litter her skin. She was so focused on that titan; she probably missed one trying to kill her from behind. 

She watched in awe as this man nonchalantly placed himself back into the battleground; his moves graceful and lethal. 

Eden wondered who the hell this man was. 


	4. Intimidation at its finest

Captain Levi Ackerman.

This was the title owned by the man who had swooped in and saved Eden’s life like a damsel in distress. She felt sick to her stomach. How stupid was she to risk her life like that? 

Questions like that rolled through her mind, painfully wrecking her brain for the past couple of hours. The battleground had quietened; but Eren was ripped out of Mikasa’s arms as soon as the Scout and Garrison regiment both got their hands on him. 

Armin managed to grab Mikasa by the wrist as they led Eren away; but Eden was quick enough to avoid Armin and sprint after him; eyes lit with a fierce flame. Someone grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around violently- making Eden lose sight of her weakened friend. 

She huffed irritably; hazel eyes widening at the realization that Captain Levi had gripped her tightly. His expression blank, intimidating dull grey eyes staring down at the girl in an irritated way. Eden bit on her tongue to suppress the snarky remark resting in her mouth. 

“You seem to like proving how big of a pain you are, Cadet,” Levi began, his cool and monotonous voice causing realization to boil within the girl. The man standing before her was the leader of the Survey Corps’ Special Operation Squad. His reputation has gifted him with the title of being “Humanity’s Strongest Soldier”. 

Being so close to him, Eden could barely figure out how old he was. He had a deceptively youthful face holding a chiseled jawline and narrow, grey eyes with dark circles under them that betrayed his possible insomnia. 

After all the things he has probably seen; how could he be able to sleep soundly at night?

“Sir, I’m only making sure that Eren is safe,” Eden said in a meek voice, mentally slamming her head against the wall. She didn’t want the frightening captain to feed off of her uneasiness. 

Whether Captain Levi grew satisfied knowing he instilled fear in people with a mere question would truly stay a secret. His physiognomy never betrayed his thoughts.

He tipped his head to the side ever so slightly, clicking his tongue. “Not that I owe you an explanation or anything, but he’s staying with us for the time being. Don’t want him going on a rampage because he couldn’t keep his emotions intact now, do we?” 

“It’s not like that...” Eden muttered out, hands balling into fists until her knuckles were painted white. That was when she began deeply regretting her reckless behavior. 

The Captain stepped closer, cape flowing rapidly behind him; his now lethal expression barely concealed by the loose raven strands of hair. 

He jabbed his finger into Eden’s collarbone; making her swallow a hiss. 

“Oh, apologies, I suppose we should all trust you and the miniscule amount of common sense you seem to own by the way you’re backtalking. What is your name, cadet?” He said in an uncomfortably calm manner; eyes never leaving Eden’s pale face. 

“Chiasa. Eden Chiasa, sir.” She forced herself to salute him, using that as an opportunity to step back from him. Levi glared at her in annoyance. 

“Well, Chiasa, learn some manners before opening that mouth of yours. I’m assuming you’re itching to join the Scout Regiment by the way your eyes sparkled once we took over?” He paused, lips pursing in disgust as though the idea of her yearning for a spot in his Regiment made him nauseous. He stepped forward once more, his words completely throwing her over the edge as she basked in embarrassment, cheeks glowing red. 

“Let me tell you something; we’re not looking for idiots who can’t even watch after their own backs. We’re also not looking for brats thinking their filthy attitude will impress their superiors. I suggest you think before you make up your choice about where you truly belong.” With that, Levi turned his back to the freshly-graduated cadet, striding off in the direction Eren was dragged to. 

Eden stood there; eyes trained to the ground as she begged herself not to cry. She didn’t mean to offend the Captain; she was just looking out for her friend. She begged for a titan to pop out of nowhere and tear her to shreds. Levi’s first impression of Eden was that she was a snotty brat who couldn’t keep her mouth shut. 

Being part of the Scout Regiment was her reason to live. She ached to belong with that Squad. But now, the somber feeling of knowing that she forever fucked up her chances of ever being able to join them made her want to give up entirely.

She viciously chewed on her bottom lip; shrugging Armin’s gentle touch off of her shoulder. He backed up, having witnessed the girl’s conversation with the profound Captain.

"We need to go. Eren will be brought before the military tribunal. They’re deciding his fate...” Armin echoed, Mikasa darkly staring into oblivion beside him. Eden nodded, following her friends; eyes trailing back to the path Levi and Eren took. 

Swallowing hard, she stopped in her tracks and went exactly the opposite way of the military courthouse. Eden followed her instincts, assumptions leading her to believe that they would most probably keep Eren underground since they were in fear of him and his powers. She hid in the shadows, her tiny body concealed by the darkness as soldiers passed her, unaware that someone had broken into the temporary prison. 

She followed the deep voices, heart sinking with relief when she heard Eren’s distinct- somewhat whiny- voice. Just as she was about to turn and walk into the cell; Captain Levi walked out of the room with a taller man who’s blond hair was slicked and parted to the sides. 

Eden held her breath as they continued walking in the opposite direction; talking in hushed, gruff voices. 

Once they were out of sight; she slipped into the jail-room and held onto the bars; gently calling Eren’s name. He looked up, eyes widening in horror.

“Eden, what the hell are you doing here?” 

“I needed to make sure you’re okay. Have they told you where they’ll be taking you next?” Eren stared back at the determined girl, swallowing thickly as he gave her a tight nod. 

She nodded in response, eyes softening at the sight of her friend behind bars. “Whatever happens Eren, just know that we are beside you. I will not let them slaughter you out of fear, okay? Just stay strong, this situation will soon be over and done with...-” 

“Who are you?” A deep voice snapped at Eden, causing her to yelp in surprise. She turned to meet the sky-blue eyes of the tall, blond man from before. His thick, bushy brows were knitted together in confusion; a parallel to the lethal death glare the shorter man who sent Eden. 

She saluted them both formally. “My name is Eden Chiasa. I am a cadet from the 104th Southern Division and I was just making sure Eren was alright, sir!” She spoke in a loud, clear voice that echoed through the jail cell. The taller man looked surprised and Levi cringed, his blank eyes twitching ever so slightly.

“Eden Chiasa, huh? Part of the top ten graduates of the Southern Division, I heard. I’m Commander Erwin Smith, leader of the Scout’s Legion. Who told you to come here?” His eyes were much warmer than Levi’s; although it was probably because the latter man looked a second away from throwing her into the cell with Eren. 

“I-...no one. I was on my way to the military courtroom but I decided to follow Captain Levi after knowing that that was the path Eren was led through. I have no excuse for coming here uninvited and I completely understand if you feel like it’s necessary to remove me from the Cadet Corps...” Eden trailed off, ignoring the resentful “tch” that slipped through Levi’s thin lips. 

“I see. Are you two close friends then?” Commander Erwin inquired in the most nonchalant tone. It was as though they were acquaintances getting to know each other over a cup of coffee. He walked closer, eyeing Eren who sat looking as uncomfortable as ever. 

“We grew up together, sir. Back in Shiganshina.” Eden paused as she watched both men’s stares darkened at the mention of her home. “After the Titans broke through, we vowed to join the Scout Regiment and help claim back what was stolen from humanity. Please understand that Eren is not a monster. If you allow them to execute him; it would be a far greater loss than a win,” Eden trailed off, hands trembling at her sides. 

“We have a strategy, Eden. Plans that will be greatly disrupted by Eren’s demise. Though I cannot promise miracles, the Scout Regiment agrees with you,” Erwin remarked as two guards walked into the cell and pulled Eren to his feet. Eden watched as they silently dragged him out. 

The Commander stared at the young girl watching her friend exit. He was certainly impressed. Perhaps it was the exhaustion of leading one war after the other that made him more lenient in this instance. He pursed his lips as he raised an arm towards the exit. 

“Shall we then?” 

* * *

Eden shifted uncomfortably as she took a seat beside Captain Levi in the courtroom. Hushed voices and spitting insults were thrown at Eren as they shackled him in the center of the room. 

Levi snapped at her once after she accidentally kicked his boot, her blood turning into iced water under his hooded stare. Mumbling a quiet apology, she watched as the Supreme Commander silenced the entire courtroom. 

After some time had been wasted on throwing disrespectful and vulgar sneers from one side of the courtroom to the other; Pastor Nick ruthlessly ordered for a gun to be pointed towards the handcuffed Eren. Before Eden could release the breath she had been unknowingly holding in; the Captain beside her had risen from his seat, striding towards the prisoner. Instead of jumping up and defying the merchants and the pastor; Levi’s boot met Eren’s jaw with such shrill force, the crack of his neck echoed through the silenced courtroom. 

Eden sat in shock; her whole body petrified as she watched Levi beat Eren to a pulp. He towered over the boy menacingly before kneeing him in the face countless of time. 

“In my personal opinion, pain is the greatest tool for discipline,” Captain Levi seethed in an unnervingly composed voice before grabbing Eren by the hair. Eden flinched and Levi’s eyes snapped to the side. 

That seemed to provoke him because his fingers flexed in a way where Eden could visibly see his grip grow tighter. 

“You’ve fallen so low to the point where it’s easy to kick you around.” He kicked him again and again until Eren choked on his own blood, shaking as he lifted his eyes to meet the Captain’s dead ones. 

He slickly conversated with the Military Police and the Pastor; feeling obligated to ensure they know how useless they were. Out of fear, they wanted to dissect Eren and then dispose of him.

Raising a hand, Erwin intervened, proposing that Eren was placed under Captain Levi’s command; kept under constant surveillance until the Scout Regiment could figure out whether he was a pawn worth investing in. 

Levi stared at Erwin as he spoke. His bored eyes jumped from the Commander onto Eden and his frown grew deeper as her hot glare hoped he would burn. He scoffed, completely disregarding her as the Supreme Commander voiced his final decision. 

* * *

Eden shoved through the people seeping out of the courtroom, fuming at everyone and everything. Naturally, she was relieved that her friend would live another day; but to treat him like some experiment was sickening. Yes, she vowed to partake in the restoration of humanity; but to what avail? 

The girl nearly missed Commander Erwin’s beckon directed towards her. She turned and walked back, saluting him; completely overlooking the man beside the tall man.

“Albeit being impulsive; I can see you have Scout traits burning inside you. Will you join the Special Operation’s Squad and accompany them on their upcoming mission overseeing Eren?”

Eden’s mouth swiftly parted, eyebrows rising slightly as the breeze ran cool fingers through her short, inky waves of hair. Her eyes dripped with the color of melting honey as they landed on her future Captain; who stared down at her in a detached manner; clicking his tongue and walking back to his horse as soon as Eden’s head began bobbing in affirmation.

She was one step closer to achieving her goal; but one step further from impressing the man in charge of her new Squad team.


	5. Teatime

The sweet taste of victory lingered on her lips.

With all the pain, suffering and anguish; it was a very rare moment for Eden to feel anything but miserable. 

A soft sigh escaped through her lips as her horse galloped in sync with the rest of the Squad’s horses. They all seemed so intimidating. Except Petra; the only other female on the team. She had greeted Eden with wide, bright eyes and a gentle, reassuring pat on the shoulder. The younger girl could only smile meekly in return. She thought back to how she didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye to Armin and Mikasa; catching their blank, puzzled stares as Captain Levi shoved her towards her horse.

The horses ambled deeper into the woods, until the view of a huge, abandoned fortress lay in sight. Eden twisted her head to look back at Eren; but met Levi’s disinterested stare boring back at her instead. Her eyes narrowed as he maintained eye contact; very well aware of the fact that she looked a second away from snapping at him. 

It was as though he was testing her.

She turned back towards their destination, pulling on the reins gently; urging her horse to slowly cease his quick trot. 

“These are our headquarters for the time being. I expect the entire place to be spotless by sundown,” Levi commanded in a dull tone as he mounted off his horse; running his fingers across his own horse’s muzzle. 

Eden didn’t hear him; eyes trained on her own horse as she stared into its jeweled eyes. She stroked his mane, unable to believe that she was now responsible for this creature. She had never ridden a horse before today. Knowing very well she was being scrutinized by her new captain; she chose to deny him of that fact. Surprisingly, she was a natural. Her team would have probably assumed that she’s ridden horses for a hobby. 

“Oi. Are you deaf or something?” She leaped at the heavy hand that ripped her out of her own thoughts. Eden glanced back at the Captain as he glared at her through tired, narrow eyes. 

“No sir, I’m sorry.” She replied, staring back at him defiantly, unmoved. 

The tension in the air could have been sliced with a blade as Levi’s face twitched imperceptibly. 

He raised a brow, eyes darkening as he tipped his head to the side. “Want me to write the instructions down for you? Move.” 

Eden nodded, looking down as adrenaline rushed through her body at an immensely quick speed. She grabbed onto her horse’s reins and proceeded towards the stable. 

That’s until she heard the familiar scoff.

“Actually, since you’re already on your way to the stables; why don’t you tidy it all up for our horses? After all, they should be treated with respect too,” Levi announced, eyes glued to the back of Eden’s head. She could feel his stare burning through her skull, which made the hot feeling of anger spread through her entire body like wildfire. 

“Yes, sir,” She said through gritted teeth as she walked back towards him; passing him by a bear few inches as she snatched his own reins. His eyes narrowed but apart from that, stayed quiet. 

* * *

It was way after sundown when Eden had finished cleaning the horses and the stables. The place certainly screamed ‘abandoned.’ The stench was horrible and she gagged as soon as she walked through the wooded entrance. 

But after taking the time to open all the windows, scrub the floor and replace the water and hay; the odor had definitely lessened. 

“What did you do? Use yourself as a mop to clean the entire stables? You look filthy,” Levi’s voice leered from the entrance of the barrack. Eden picked herself up and frowned into the darkness, barely visualizing her Captain’s silhouette with the lack of moonlight. 

“Are you going to keep treating me like trash the entire time? I get it, your first impression of me isn’t exactly perfect but are you going to keep reminding me of it?” Eden called out when she didn’t hear Levi’s advancing footsteps. 

Then, that same pause shifted between them. It was gone in the blink of an eye, but it ridiculed Eden; mentally kicking her as she thought back to what she had just said to him. 

“If you can’t handle simple cleaning instructions, then what the hell are you doing in my squad?” He replied in a darker voice that made Eden’s jaw clench in annoyance. “Obviously Erwin saw _some_ kind of potential in you to personally invite you in the Scout Regiment. But, don’t assume that just because that happened, I’ll be feeding you with a silver spoon. Now get yourself cleaned up and meet the rest of the group in the dining hall.” The sound of his boots grew fainter as he strode off. 

Eden took a deep breath as she calmed her nerves, wiping the grime off her cheek with her sleeve. 

Thankfully, she met Petra upon entering the headquarters. The older woman nervously looked around them as Eden stepped in with her muddy boots. 

“Captain said your room is up the stairs; the second room to the right. I’m in the opposite hallway,” She said, her voice sweet and gentle. Her eyes kept flickering to Eden’s boots which finally called the younger girl to voice her thoughts. 

“Is there a problem?” 

Petra looked back at her, rubbing her back of her neck awkwardly. “Captain Levi is very strict when it comes to cleaning; if you haven’t noticed already. He made Eren clean the top floor three times because he kept finding dust under the desk and bookshelves. Not that I’m one to gossip, but with a childhood like his, I can understand his need to keep everything in immaculate condition.” 

“What do you mean by...-” the raven-haired girl began, only to have her words lose their trail in her mouth once she heard the sounds of the other team members echoing closer. 

Petra gave her a wary smile and ushered her towards the staircase. “Go on now. Rookies make mistakes. I’ll deal with this.” She looked down at the dirt footprints marking the stone floor as she pushed her strawberry locks behind her ears. 

Eden easily found her room. It was small, dark and incredibly cold. She shivered, eyes settling on the neatly folded uniform resting atop the bed. 

Her teeth grinded as she suppressed a cry once her naked body was met with the frosty water seeping out of her shower. She made sure to scrub all the filth she had gained after spending her first afternoon with Levi’s Squad cleaning the stables. 

The young soldier quickly dried herself and jumped into the uniform, tightening the straps on her boots and pulling her hair into a tight bun. She stared at herself in the mirror; surprised at the woman who stared back. 

With her hair slicked back, her cheekbones stood more defined against her porcelain skin. Her large, almond-shaped eyes framed by thick lashes and the arch of her brows symmetrical. She looked down at her uniform, gnawing on her lip as her palm glided over the soft material. 

She was a Scout and no matter how hard Levi would push her; she would prove how she was the best choice for his squad. 

* * *

“Fresh meat, you’re late,” the much older, blond man with defined wrinkles voiced once Eden made her way into the dining hall. Oluo Bozado, his name was. 

At the head of the table sat the captain, uniform crisp and clean; his tired eyes peaking through the longer strands of his hair concealing the top part of his face. He silently watched Eden over the brim of his tea cup as she soundlessly made her way to sit beside Petra. 

Eren looked at her from the other side of the table; his gray-blue eyes glimmering awkwardly. 

Petra offered Eden a cup simmering with tea, but Eden scrunched up her nose and shook her head slightly. Petra laughed softly. 

“You’re not a tea-drinker?” 

“Not at all. I prefer coffee,” Eden replied in a low voice, but it seemed to be loud enough for Levi to hear because he continued sipping on his own tea with a very disapproving look. 

She had heard about the captain’s love for tea. This was just another one of the many reasons that kept reminding her how much they clash.

Levi placed his cup back on the table and rapped his fingers on the wooden table. 

“For the next few days we will reside here and train. Hange is on her way to meet Eren. You’ll be spending your time with her, you lab rat,” Levi muttered, shooting Eren a glare as he looked down at his own cup of tea. 

Eden sat quietly listening to her fellow teammates conversate. She soon found out the rest of the men’s names; Eld Jinn who was second in command and Gunther Schultz. 

Oluo turned his pompous stare towards the quiet, small girl and snorted. “What made such a fragile girl like you join the military? Tired playing with dolls all day?” He grunted as Petra kicked him under the table angrily. 

“I’m not _fragile_ ,” Eden replied in a calm manner albeit the white knuckles she hid under the table. “As a matter of fact, I plan on showing you exactly how fragile I am tomorrow during sparring.” 

Oluo raised a brow and let out another humorless snort. “Please. I’ll be done with you before you can wipe the snot from your nose.” 

“That’s enough,” Levi spoke, his stern glare focused nowhere in particular. He turned his eyes to Eden, who had bitten her lip to the point where she could taste the specks of her own blood. 

“Our goal is to find out exactly what the hell is going on with Yeager. Can you tell us more about your new talent?” 

Eren swallowed hard, his mouth parting as he began to speak.

“I’m terribly sorry I’m late! Please excuse me, Captain!” A loud, piercing voice interrupted the young boy. 

A tall, older woman barged through the doors with a lopsided grin carved onto her face. She had her messy hair pulled up in a ponytail; wide eyes concealed behind the glasses wrapped around her head. She winked at the captain, who in turn completely disregarded her, choosing to focus on his empty cup of tea. 

She stopped, eyes jumping from Eren to Eden. 

“My name is Hange Zoë, leader of Squad Four. Eren and...Eden, right?” 

Both cadets nodded tightly. 

“The pleasure is all mine. Tell me, how does it feel to know your friend over here possesses such capabilities?” She walked over to the raven-head; leaning over the top of her chair. 

Eden swallowed thickly as she stared into Eren’s eyes. “I think he’s the key to saving humanity.” 

Her quipped response earning another grunt from Oluo as Petra sat beside her silently. Hange squealed in response. 

“I can only imagine what answers lie in that pretty head of yours!” She hopped around the table, patting Eren on the head. He frowned deeply. 

“Nevertheless, I can fill you in on what research I’ve gathered so far on this topic. It’ll take some time, but I’m sure it could light a bulb in your brain,” she continued, pulling the seat beside Eren hungrily. 

The rest of the team stood up abruptly, muttering incoherent excuses about why they want to be dismissed. 

Levi gave a stiff nod and the crew dispersed; leaving himself, Eden, Hange and her new experiment sitting around the wide table. 

Facts, stories and drabbles spewed out of Hange’s mouth as she begin uncovering a whole line of events that led them to believe Titans hide much more in those thick heads of theirs. 

Eden was interested at first, but as the stories continued expanding, she felt her eyes slowly droop until someone kicked the leg of her chair. 

She yelped, jumping out of her seat and against Levi’s solid chest. The girl stepped back, jaw clenching as he sent her a wary glare.

“Go to bed, brat. Tomorrow, I plan on checking just how good you are at sparring personally. If you fail because you preferred lingering around listening to Four-eyes’ fairytales; that’s on you.” He turned and walked out of the dining room. 

Eden pinched the bridge of her nose, letting go of an exasperated breath before heading back towards her room. 

She was gone before her head had hit the stiff pillow. 


	6. Altercations

The piercing sound of persistent knocking woke Eden up with a gasp. 

“Wake up, brat. Eat something and head to the training field.” A sharp, low voice with a demanding undertone spoke behind the door. 

Eden grumbled out a “yes sir” but once the Captain’s boots echoed further away from her room, she pressed her face against her pillow. She couldn’t tell how long it had been since she dozed off, but comfort had become a distant memory as soon as her bedroom door creaked open.

She lurched out of the bed, tousled hair blanketing over her eyes as she blindly saluted the intruder. 

“It’s just me, silly,” Petra’s soft voice carried itself into the room, causing Eden to visibly relax as she pushed the wavy locks out of her face. 

“God, I thought it was the Captain. I can’t imagine how pleased he would have looked finding me sleeping after coming to wake me up,” Eden yawned, stretching until her bones cracked pleasantly. Petra cringed at the sound. 

“Captain Levi isn’t exactly the friendliest or the most affectionate person, but he means well. Allow him to teach you the Scout ways and you might even get to earn a small bit of his trust, like the rest of us.” Petra made the bed whilst Eden got ready, rolling her eyes when the younger girl told her she was perfectly capable of fixing the duvet on her own. 

“We are a team. Take this as me giving you part of my trust. Sooner or later, I’ll need help with something. I can count on you to help me out,” Petra chirped, winking at Eden before making her way to the window. 

Eden quickly changed into her uniform, running into the tiny stone bathroom to brush her teeth before strapping up her boots and tightening her belt. 

“Does the Captain ever laugh?” Eden whispered to her friend, earning a baffled look which made her frown.

“Um, well, I’m not sure actually. Over the years I might have seen his lips tuck up slimly; but it was never a _smile_ smile, if you get me,” The strawberry-blonde girl said in a quieter voice; as though they were discussing a coup. “He’s not much of an emotions type of man. You’ll slowly learn to understand when his impassive face means he’s angry and when it means he’s pleased with you.” She clapped Eden on the shoulder, walking towards the dining hall where the rest of the squad busily ate breakfast.

“Morning!” Petra grinned at the rest, earning some grumbles here and there and a snort from Oluo. “Where’s the Captain?” 

“Something about paperwork before practice,” Hange replied as she chewed on a piece of bread. 

The two women lowered themselves around the table and each helped themselves to a serving of hot oatmeal and some bread. Eden met Eren’s eyes- immediately warming up inside. She wondered whether he had been cold sleeping in the cellar alone. 

Perhaps tonight, she would sneak down and bring him an extra blan-

The room’s aura immediately darkened, growing tense and uncomfortable as Levi pushed through the doors. 

Eden’s eyes trailed after the man as he made his way to the head of the table, pouring himself a cup of black tea. He held his cup in the same peculiar way as yesterday, the steam slipping through his fingers. 

Sharp gray eyes met with soft amber ones for a moment. Levi held her stare for a second longer before his brows furrowed and he looked away in discontent. Not that Eden was an expert on reading his blank face. 

The head of the table calmly listened to the words exchanged between his squad mates. Eden tried talking to Eren about how he was feeling; but his quiet tone and sunken eyes left her with a clear answer. 

Once everyone was done with their meals, they all headed to the kitchen, washed the dishes and moved towards the field behind the headquarters. 

“Go on without me, I forgot my hair pin on the table,” She said to Petra who sent her a sweet smile and walked off to join the rest of the squad. 

Cracking her knuckles, she took a deep breath and straightened her back before marching back into the dining room. Levi was silently sipping on his cup of tea; not even bothering to shift his eyes towards the approaching girl.

“Captain,” the raven-head awkwardly saluted her superior; his hooded eyes finally landing on her pale face. He inwardly cringed.

“What?” 

“I was wondering whether I could join Hange with overseeing Eren’s progress later on today?” She asked in a confident voice, heart beating in her ears. 

“No.” 

There was a pause before she spoke again, heart sinking at how quickly he had cut the conversation short. 

“Please sir. He’s...scared and full of anger. What good would come out from you prodding at him like he’s some type of mindless lab rat? I can...support him and help...-” 

“Tell me, brat: are you here to hold Eren’s hand the entire time or are you here to learn how to be a Scout?” Levi coldly interrupted her, soundly placing his teacup on the table. 

Eden pursed her lips, the back of her neck warming up. “I’m here to learn, sir.” 

“Well then get your ass to the training field and start practicing. Learn a thing or two from your squad mates. I’ll come and see your progress later today. And stop asking stupid questions,” Levi asserted before grabbing his teacup and walking out wordlessly. 

Eden slammed her fist against the wooden table, swearing as her cheeks grew hot. Could she not have one decent conversation with the Captain without him insulting her in any way? 

She wasn’t sure whether her mind was playing tricks on her, but she heard his boots stalk off right after she swore instead of immediately after his exit. 

Eden groaned at the thought of Levi assuming she was a weakling unable to take no for an answer. She could of course accept defeat; but not when it came to her friends and their wellbeing. 

Regardless, she muttered an insult before stomping out of the headquarters and towards Petra. 

It was noon when Eden had finished sparring and practicing new moves with her teammates. She started off with Petra, who was nothing but kind and extremely helpful; until Oluo snapped at her for the comment she had made challenging him last night. 

Tightening her hair back in a ponytail, she stretched lazily. 

“I wasn’t talking shit. I meant it. I think I can beat you in a spar session. Of course, if you’re too scared to hit a girl, I might go easy on you.” A sly smirk stretched across her face as the older man’s own face contorted into one filled with immense rage. 

Balling his fists, he stepped closer to her, towering over the small girl. Eden held her stance, not allowing Oluo with the pleasure of knowing how nervous she was. 

Especially since she caught sight of Levi’s advancing stride with her peripheral vision a moment before Oluo lunged at her. 

She dodged his first punch and kicked his tailbone as he passed by her. He was definitely strong, it was the fact that she was light and quick with her reflexes that gave her an advantage. Oluo jolted her feet from under her and she landed on her ass. 

The pain completely woke her up as anger seethed through her entire body like fire. 

She jumped up quickly, grabbing his advancing hand and twisting his forearm. Oluo’s body shifted to the side as he grunted, weakening his balance. Eden took that as a chance to boot him in the back of the knee, letting him fold to the ground on his knees. He twisted to the side, grabbing her by the waist and smashing her against the floor before him- eyes filled with rage and embarrassment. 

The people around Eden were long forgotten. She just wanted to prove anyone who thought she was fragile wrong. With a fierce yell; she used her heels to bounce her legs off the ground; kneeing Oluo in the nose as he towered over her. 

He toppled backwards, palm clapped over his nose as blood gushed down his chin. 

“You little bitch...-”

“You lost a challenge and now you’ll pay the price. Go stop the bleeding and clean yourself up. The rest of you; you’re free for lunch. You. Stay here,” Levi stared at Eden who brushed the dirt from her trousers, chest heaving upwards and downwards. 

She eyed him curiously- this was the first time she had seen the Captain dressed slightly less formally. He wore a gray long-sleeve t-shirt with a deep V-neck that exposed his collarbones slightly. His uniform boots were gleaming clean and his white pants spotless under the harness. 

He stared back at her with a hollow expression, pinching the bridge of his nose. His straight hair moved in sync with the wind as Eden continued gazing at him with an unreadable expression.

Albeit being an extremely aggravating person to be around, Captain Levi was undeniably attractive. She would be a fool to mentally deny that fact. 

“Your stance is weak and you’re lucky Oluo’s head is so far up his own ass, his ego let you win this fight,” he told her bluntly, stepping closer. 

Eden frowned, suppressing a scoff and a snarky remark.

“Get into your fighting stance,” Levi barked before she was able to inquire what the plan was. He stepped closer and kicked her feet so they were directly under her body- and not widespread.

“That way you have more balance and a stronger grip to the ground.” The Captain spoke as his eyes dragged over Eden’s body. She shifted uncomfortably, but stood in front of him wordlessly. It was once his fingers grabbed her waist, forcibly tilting her body to the side when she started sweating. 

“No. Just the torso. Don’t move your legs.” He squeezed her hips, straightening them before pausing and taking a step back to inspect her stance. 

With a stiff nod, Levi glanced back to meet Eden’s deep frown; his eyes narrowing slightly. 

“Now, we will spar and I’ll determine exactly where you need to focus your power during these training days.” The words came out haughty and imperious as Eden’s hazel eyes widened in shock.

“You want me to spar...with you?” 

Levi’s narrowed eyes fixated on her face as though she had just said that the sky was purple. 

Without sparing a second, he charged at Eden, grabbing her by the elbow and twisting it behind her back. 

“Too slow,” Levi growled out into her ear; pushing her off him with a hard shove. She stumbled forward, twisting back to face him as her stomach lurched. 

Once she was back in the fighting stance he had shown her, he aimed to kick her face; only to have her forearm collide with his shin instead. He recoiled quickly, deflecting Eden’s upcoming fist. He grabbed her hand; squeezing her fist open, her bones cracking. 

She shrieked and fell to her knees, her free hand grabbing his forearm as she angrily looked up at him. 

His stare was piercing even though he looked so bored. Perhaps Eden had to accept the fact that her Captain suffered from a resting bitch face.

But it angered her. She was putting her all into managing at least one hit; and he was swatting away all her attempts so nonchalantly. Like he knew exactly what to expect from her. It made her livid. 

With an enraged yell, Eden pushed herself off the ground, catching Levi in the chin by surprise as she toppled on top of him. Gripping her waist, the Captain instantly flipped them over, ignoring the way Eden squeaked as she hit her head the hard ground. She grew dizzy.

“I thought you said you’re not fragile?” He asked in a cold voice, leaning in closer, his hair brushing against her forehead. “You look like you’re seconds away from crying. What happened? Maybe we should take you home so you can go back to playing with your dolls like Oluo said,” Levi seethed, teeth gritted, brows scrunched together in irritation. 

Eden was breathing heavily, tears threatening to grace her porcelain face just like her Captain had predicted.

“I’m not fragile,” she yelled, snaking her calf around his hips, her fingers reaching to lift his hand of the ground. Eden shoved him hard against the ground; landing atop of him once more, this time straddling him, fist balled around his wrist. 

Levi almost laughed.

_Almost._

“Being part of the Survey Corps means you’ll be dealing with the unpredictable. You might think sparring is a waste of time; but trust me when I tell you every stance and every movement you learn might just be the one that saves your life one day.” He abruptly sat up, headbutting her tightly in the mouth. It was as though she was experiencing deja vu- the memory of performing the same movement on Oluo with the back of her head flowing through her mind. He had split Eden’s lips and made her bite her tongue. She spat the pool of blood on the ground beside her. 

Levi’s eyes widened as he stood up, fingers brushing against his white trousers in revulsion as the tiny specks of dirt peppered against the fabric. He looked down at Eden; head tilting to the side ever so slightly as he offered her his hand. 

She stared at his hand for a moment- hesitating. It was as though the Captain was silently apologizing for making her bleed during their first spar. It was supposed to be training at first only. 

Regardless, she accepted his hand, allowing him to effortlessly bring her to her feet before barking at her to get into the correct stance once more.


	7. Enigmatic Confessions

Sweat beads slipped down her spine as she crouched over; palms pressed against her kneecaps. 

Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, nerves wrecking her brain. 

Levi stood beside her stationary, eyes planted on the top of her head. 

They had been training together the entire afternoon, clashing together as Levi beat the shit out of her. 

The only good thing that came out of her bruises and cuts was the fact that she learned a thing or two from his instructions. 

“Take a break, clean yourself up and report back to my office for cleaning duty,” Levi finally broke up the tumultuous silence, taking a final glance down at the fatigued girl before striding off. 

She glared at the back of his head, mimicking his words under her breath as he retreated. 

The Captain whipped his head back to glare at Eden and she could swear her life flashed before her eyes as they widened comically. 

“What was that, brat?” He seethed, turning his body back to face her threateningly. 

“Nothing...sir...I was just...repeating your instructions back to myself in case I...forgot...” she lied through her teeth; knowing very well by the stone look on his face that he didn’t buy her story. 

Regardless, he chose not to waste anymore time with her as he marched away, knuckles clenching. 

Eden waited until he had disappeared before beginning to walk back to the castle. She was so preoccupied on her training session with Levi, she didn’t take the chance to appreciate the beautiful scenery surrounding her. 

The field was large and green, the smell of dirt and grass overwhelming her scenes. It had rained during the night and so the aroma was still fresh and delicious. 

She picked a couple of chamomile flowers on her way back.

She pulled her hair out of the tight bun, massaging her fingers over her strained scalp. The girl thought back to Levi’s careful words, useful training tips and the way he so carelessly brought her down as though she had been a ragdoll in his hands. 

Scoffing, Eden walked through the grand entrance, making sure to take her boots off before hurrying up the stairs. 

* * *

The freezing water felt good against her aching muscles. 

Eden found the long, plain skirt that fell to her ankles and a tight shirt that Petra had left for her. She decided to leave her hair down, allowing her damp curls time to dry off without the tight grasp of her hair tie. 

She clicked her tongue irritably, closing the door behind her as she walked towards Petra’s room. 

“What’s up?” The older woman chirped after letting Eden in; setting the book she was reading onto the mattress. 

“Well, I didn’t want to risk walking into Oluo or someone else’s room, so I decided to come and ask you where Captain Levi’s office is,” Eden began, clasping her hands behind her back awkwardly. 

Petra nodded slowly, eyes trained on the cadet quizzically. 

“He told me to get changed and report back to his office for cleaning duties...and yeah...” 

Petra sighed, letting out a chortle under her breath. “He really is making sure to leave a good first impression as your superior. He’s just a man with very high expectations...-” 

“Yeah, but I feel like he despises me. Every time he looks at me, I can feel the hatred. I don’t know if I’m overthinking or something, but I literally feel like I can’t do anything right,” Eden seethed, sitting down beside Petra, placing her palms on her temple. 

“I told you, it’s just the way he is. We’re at war, Eden. We’ve seen fellow comrades fall left and right. Naturally, he’ll be harsh on you. But don’t assume that his strictness implies you’re not good. In fact...I overheard him talking with Hange today and he seemed pleased with you. Said there obviously needs some work to be done but other than that, he actually complimented you to Hange! Take that as a win,” Petra smiled gently, reaching to squeeze Eden’s shoulder. 

The Captain had been impressed with her skills? Perhaps all this wouldn’t be for nothing. The feeling of victory blocked her trail of thought as she sat there grinning back at Petra. 

They chatted for a little while, until Eden’s face writhed with fear. 

“Shit. I told you, I was supposed to meet with the Captain right after training.”

Petra’s eyes widened in realization, grabbing her hand and leading her to the bedroom’s exit. 

“I’d tell you not to worry, but Captain Levi absolutely hates slacking.” Ushering her out quickly, she told her exactly where to find his office. 

With a tight nod and a soft ‘thank you’ response to Petra’s ‘good luck’; Eden walked through the castle with trembling hands and a rapidly beating heart. 

* * *

She stood before his door, knocking gently as she awaited his affirmative response.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door with her forearm; eyes immediately taking in the details of his office. 

First of all, it was immaculately clean. The bookshelf stood tall, gleaming down at Eden as she saluted Levi before closing the door behind her. His desk was spotless, large stacks of paperwork layered one of top of the other in the most perfect way. 

Eden bit her lip as she edged closer to the man behind the desk. 

He didn’t bother looking up to see who had come in. Perhaps, she was the only person he had been expecting that afternoon. Once she planted her body in front of his desk; he looked up from the paperwork in his hands- tired eyes taking in her informal attire. 

“You’re late,” he said in irritated tone, noticing Eden’s trembling knuckles.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I have no valid excuse. I went to ask Petra for instructions...-”

“Spare me the lecture, brat. You have twenty minutes to mop this hallway spotless. You actually had more time, but since you came late, I’m assuming you’re confident that you’ll be able to clean every bit of surface for less time?” Levi challenged her, brow raising slightly as he tipped his chin upwards. 

Eden looked down at him, her mind plagued with possible comebacks that would earn her a not-so pleasant reaction from him. 

“Yes, Captain.” She nodded at him, picking her skirt as she walked back out of his spotless room. She heard his chair reclined as she assumed he had leaned back into it and her muscles ached for the same. 

Eden was done cleaning in fifteen minutes. 

By the way Levi glared at her in distaste; she could tell he probably thought the young cadet was joking. Eden laughed nervously. 

“I’m serious. You can come take a look if you like.” 

“Of course, I will,” he snapped, brushing past her; the scent of tea leaves and mellow cologne overcoming her senses. She shuffled after him with her head down, her body colliding with his as Levi abruptly stopped in the hallway. 

Her cheeks heated up as she stepped away, her fingers still feeling the solidness of his biceps of when she accidentally gripped him upon collision. 

Levi turned to her, his lips pressed into a thin line as she uttered her apologies. 

He slowly walked along the corridor, fingers gliding under the window pane as he reached the end of the hallway. 

Turning back to her, he held her expectant gaze before blessing her with a stiff nod. 

“Finally you did something right. You’re free to go,” Levi said as he walked past her, shoulder brushing Eden’s one; her muscles crying in pain. 

“Thank you, Captain.” Eden quickly stalked off before Levi changed his mind.

* * *

She spent the rest of the evening with Petra, pealing vegetables and helping her cook the soup. It was quiet and the somber clouds that darkened as the sun waved goodbye wept across the fields.

Eren stalked into the kitchen, eyes drooping as he asked whether they were in need of any help. 

“No, but you can stay for the company,” Eden offered, pulling the younger boy into a tight embrace. He returned it with the same amount of force before leaning against the counter and answering all of Eden’s questions regarding Hange’s research. He referred back to Hange’s hypothesis regarding his failed Titan-transforming attempts; causing them to think that Eren could only transform when his mind was set on a clear objective; not because he was instructed to change.

She listened intently, heart sinking at the way he explained how Oluo, Eld, Gunther and Petra had pulled out their blade when he accidentally transformed by the touch of his teaspoon. 

Petra laughed softly, eyes shifting to the ground. “Sorry about that. We’re just not used to acting casually around titans.” 

“Of course, I completely understand. I just need to get to the bottom of this before I lose my mind,” Eren replied tiredly, rubbing his face lazily. 

The brought the food to the dining hall, where the rest of the team was already waiting. Minus the Captain. 

“I’ll go bring the plates. Do you mind letting Captain Levi know that dinner is ready?” Petra asked in a low voice, earning a sigh from Eden. 

“Sure, no worries,” she answered, eyes twinkling at Eren who sent her a sympathetic glance.

Eden walked through the cold estate, the thunderous rain smashing against the walls, wind howling. 

She knocked on his door, entering only after his exhausted voice echoed past the wood. 

“Captain, the food is ready, if you’re hungry,” the girl said in a soft voice. Once again, he looked up from his paperwork a moment too late; brows furrowing together as his silver eyes reflected the moonlight seeping through the window. 

“Alright, good to know.” 

Eden kept his stare for a second longer before he called after her, referring to her surname for the first time since she got there.

“I expect you to process everything I’ve taught you today before tomorrow’s training session. The upcoming 57th Exterior mission requires the best out of you. There’s no room for failure,” he said in a low voice, his calculating eyes measuring the girl before him. 

She nodded hesitantly, bowing her head formally before walking out of the office.

“I will not fail you, Captain.” 

* * *

Come morning, her muscles were in excruciating pain, the shades of her bruises a vast juxtaposition against her porcelain skin. 

She met with her Captain on the training grounds right after breakfast and she couldn’t help but notice how exhausted his eyes were, the shadows under his hooded eyes dark and sunken.

That didn’t seem to affect his fighting skills, as he dropped her to the ground again and again. 

“You’re not giving it your all,” he growled, pinching the bridge of his nose in disappointment. Eden let go of the breath she was holding onto in frustration. 

He commanded her back into the first fighting position before aiming for the left side of her face with a stone fist. She ducked, her own right fist catching the Captain in the jaw for the first time ever. 

She gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth as his head snapped to the side. 

“Oh, my God, Captain, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean...-”

“Shut the hell up, brat. Isn’t that the whole point of the training?” He huffed, recoiling quicker than Eden could blink; grabbing a fistful of her now wild hair as he pulled her face inches closer to his. 

“This is all pointless if you’re too scared to throw in a real punch. I’m just wasting my time here.” He shoved her onto the ground as he spoke before running his fingers to fix his t-shirt. 

Eden let go of any anxiety that held onto her as she kicked Levi’s feet from under him. He toppled to the ground only because he had assumed she was giving up. 

She moved over towards him, fist aiming for his face. He let out a low grunt, grabbing her wrist and thrusting her off of him. But she held onto his hand, growling as she pushed closer to the Captain, her temple colliding with the same spot she had previously hit. 

He slapped her across the face with such shrill force, her neck cracked to the side. Blood poured over her lips and trickling down her chin from the way his fingers caught her nose. 

Eden spat the bloodied saliva onto the ground, jaw clenching, teeth gritting as she punched her fist into his abdomen. He let out a huff, his fingers slipping between her raven locks once more. 

Levi picked her up by her hair, barely moved by her thrashing. “Better. I’d be feeling sorry about your own looks if I were you. You cannot beat me.” 

His fingers relaxed, her locks stroking his palms as she dropped to the ground, spitting another round of bloodied saliva. He grimaced, pulling a soft, pearl-white handkerchief out of his pocket before handing it to her. 

Eden stared up at him with carnal eyes, blood pounding in her ears as she wiped her nose. 

Before she could acknowledge his movements, he had picked her up from under her arms, letting her balance on her own two feet. 

“You need to learn when spilling blood is necessary, brat. In this world, there is no place for throwing sympathy at your opponents,” Levi said in a chipped tone as he looked down at his new cadet. 

“It’s different when I’m expected to fight my superiors,” she grumbled, pushing the hair that had stuck to her bloodied skin off of her face. 

He raised a brow. She assumed he was humored by her response. 

“Then maybe I should be harder on you. Perhaps that’s what you need in order to follow orders respectively,” Levi shot back, eyes narrowing. 

“Then maybe you should, sir,” Eden challenged him, the corner of her lips twitching in antipathy. 

He clicked his tongue, snatching the handkerchief out of her fingers in disgust. 

“We’ll see how assertive you’ll continue being after we’ve left the safety of these walls,” he assured in a dangerously calm voice before grabbing her by the chin. 

She winced, hands immediately gripping onto his forearm as she tried pulling away. Alas, she couldn’t budge. 

Levi eyed her nose, tilting her head to the side as he let out of soft “tch”. 

“Not broken. You’ll live.” He instantaneously loosened his grip on Eden’s jaw, eyes shifting back to the castle. 

“You’re free to go. Remember what I said to you.” 

By the time she had slipped open her eyes; he was gone. His words echoed through her mind as she touched her nose. Although the Captain had just told her that there was no place for feeling sorry for her opponent, Eden felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she thought back to the timid, blue discoloration on the line of his jaw. She had punched him on the same spot twice and he had just lectured her about how stupid she was being for apologizing to him.

* * *

Eden couldn’t sleep that night. She whipped from side to side, her wall clock indicating it was well after two in the morning. 

She decided to go for a stroll around the castle in peace. Given the fact that it was pouring outside once again, she was confined to linger within the barricades of the castle’s walls. 

Eden was dressed in shorts that lay concealed under her oversized pajama shirt. Her curls rested against her shoulders- she hated the feeling of her hair tied up when she was sleeping. 

She lingered through the hallways, goosebumps sprinkled against her skin. Darkness rested around her, the sound of wind and rain knocking against the stones the only sound surrounding her. 

She walked down the hallway, rolling her eyes at the sound of Oluo’s incoherent snoring. 

Walking along the second floor, she peered through the black corridor camouflaging the Captain’s office. Eden halted in her tracks, honey-green eyes concentrating on the dim light peaking from under his door. 

The girl rubbed her eyes, thinking it was her mind playing tricks. But the light was still there when she centered her attention back onto the floor. 

She stood in the cold hallway, hesitating at what her next move should be. 

She chose stepping backwards, trotting down the staircase rapidly, her mind set on the kitchen as the final destination.

Pulling the dried chamomile leaves out of her short’s pocket, she began boiling the water, gently stirring everything together and pouring it into a small teacup. Eden made her way back towards the dreadful dark hallway with the light peaking through the crack under the door. 

She tapped her trembling knuckles against the hard wood, standing there in silence until she heard Levi’s voice.

The Captain’s eyes widened slightly; - the yearning of sleep extremely visible as he sat over his desk. The dark circles under his eyes were far more proclaimed than before; it almost made Eden want to ask him when was the last time he had a good night’s sleep.

“Did you forget your pants somewhere?” He inquired, eyes dragging over Eden’s bare legs as his brow raised. Her cheeks bruised with a faint blush but luckily, the light was faint.

“I made you some chamomile tea,” she began, sauntering over, gently placing the teacup before his hands. Levi stared at the teacup in wonder before moving back to the nervous girl before him.

He gazed at her expectantly, mumbling a token of appreciation before lifting the teacup to his lips. 

“I just wanted to apologize for hurting you, Captain,” Eden began, eyes fixed on the light bruising against his jawline. 

Levi shook his head, exhausted eyes meeting tired ones as he held onto the warmth of the cup. “I told you, stop apologizing for things you’re meant to do. That’s why people think you’re fragile.”

Eden sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair as she tensely looked away. “I understand, but it’s hard not to apologize when all I’ve been doing is looking out after everyone- including myself- my whole life. I just- I feel this weight of responsibility holding onto me for everything that goes wrong.” Levi pursed his lips, the shadow of an urge for her to continue masked behind a stiff nod.

“I never want to let the people I care about down and I guess I just feel inclined to always apologize because I feel like it’s my fault when things do go to hell.”

Eden finally met Levi’s levelled stare, only to feel a wave of surprise gush through her as she saw how his eyes had softened. Perhaps, it was the first time she had seen that hard, dull stare disappear and be replaced with a more gentle one. 

“If you’re still worried about Eren; he’ll be okay. And that’s the thing about people like us- we carry the heavy burden just so no one else has to.” 

He leaned back into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose before sighing under his breath, “You think I don’t worry about everyone every single day? My job has made me very familiar with loss and sometimes, there’s nothing else to do but accept that you’re on the losing side. I can’t lie to you and sit here preaching how it gets easier with time. The faster you accept loss as part of your life; the better it will be for you. I too- feel like I let my people down if things don’t go accordingly.” 

Eden listened intently as Levi shared with her the secret to acceptance. Her fingers were shaking as sadness raked through her body. 

“I can’t imagine what that must feel,” she said quietly, lips stitching together as she carefully thought out her next words. “Even through all of the darkness and death, you still manage to lead us and have everyone put all of their faith into you. I know I have many qualities I need to work on; but knowing that I have a team that has once been where I stand now makes it just a bit easier. I know you need to be harsh with me so I can learn and I can vouch that as hardheaded as I am; I am always ready to lay my own life down to save anyone’s on this squad.”

Levi nodded once more, gray eyes searching Eden’s face intently. There was something about his gaze that made Eden’s heart break; his eyes held so much trauma and tragedy, it had become part of his daily expressions. 

There was an awkward pause that mixed with the tension between the two individuals as neither of them backed down from the staring competition. 

Until Levi glanced at his clock before standing up to make his way around the front of his desk, leaning against the wood. “It’s very late. Go to sleep. If you don’t wake up on time, just know I’ve assigned you to cleaning stable duties.” 

Eden let out a breathy laugh, turning to slowly make her way to the door. She paused, heart sinking as her eyes fixed on a line of dust resting between the key and the keyhole of his door. She glanced at Levi with wide eyes, gliding a finger across the fragments. 

“It seems like you’ve missed a spot, Captain,” Eden whispered, lifting her finger towards Levi- who’s eye twitched. Eden cocked her head ever so slightly, biting on her bottom lip as she lowered her hand down. 

“I apologies if I’m overstepping, but someone mentioned your strictness to tidiness comes from your childhood. May I ask why?” 

Immediately, Levi’s hooded eyes hardened to stone; his brows scrunching in annoyance; jaw clenching tightly. Eden mentally swore, hating herself for completely disregarding the fact that his childhood could have been a touchy subject. 

“Get out,” Levi voiced in an incredibly icy tone, hands pushing his body off of the desk as he made his way to Eden. She backed up, tears pooling in her eyes as she lowered her head. 

“I’m sorry,” She managed to voice before having the door slammed in her face. 

It didn’t take long for her to reach her own room, closing the door shut with her back before sinking against the wooden surface until she had reached the freezing floor. She shook uncontrollably, her thick sobs stranded at the back of her throat as she placed her head in her hands. 

Eden never wanted for this to happen. She merely wanted to make him a cup of tea out of sympathy. Instead, she left his office an absolute mess; leaving behind a vulnerable part of her past with him. 

She wanted to kick herself for pushing him too hard, the tenderness of her heart completely disregarding the fact that perhaps Captain Levi did not want her help. 

That night, Eden fell asleep against the door with cheeks scarred by undisciplined tears; her hand pressed against her chest.


	8. The Lull before the Storm

Eden made it her mission to avoid Captain Ackerman as much as she could. 

It began with skipping breakfast and then shoving slices of bread and fruit down her throat when everyone had already left for training. 

It continued with Eden asking everyone to train with her to keep her mind preoccupied. She assumed that Levi had also been avoiding her because she would barely see him anyway. When she had asked Petra where Levi had been after a few days; the older woman had smiled and affirmed that the Captain had been busy overseeing Eren’s progress with Hange and her squad. 

It was a quiet couple of days focused on strengthening her combat skills with her teammates. Aside from Oluo being a pompous freak; he was actually a great mentor. Not as meticulous as the Lance Corporal; but good enough for Eden to practice her fighting with. 

On the day before the 57th Expedition; she spent her afternoon after training busy with Petra. They decided it was best to clean their ODM gear and make sure there were no malfunctions that could cost them their lives or put anyone else in danger. 

That was until her blood ran cold when she heard boots crunching against the dirt. 

“Petra, when you’re done you can tend to the horses. Brat, come with me,” Levi voiced in a cool manner; the tone that had made Eden’s mind race back to that severely awkward evening. 

“Yes, sir!” Petra replied brightly, grinning at Eden before gathering up their ODM gear and making her way to the stables. The raven-haired girl took a deep breath, nerves jolting through her body as she stood up and made her way to the impatient Captain.

She stood before him, trying her best not to flinch under his hard stare. 

“Walk with me,” Levi commanded, turning his back to her and beginning to pace in a semi-rapid walk. Eden hurried to match his pace, her fist clenching behind her back as she walked beside him wordlessly, eyes averted to the side. 

He led her to the training field, eyes focused on Eden as she regretfully realized that he wanted to check her progress. 

* * *

The sparring went horribly. Eden barely made an effort; only making sure to dodge any punches aimed at her face. But other than that, her indifference enraged Levi beyond anything else. 

He kicked her to the ground once more, his eyes flashing dangerously as the wind blew his strands of hair off his face. 

“What the hell is wrong with you today?” He barked out, pulling her to her feet for the first time that day. Eden glanced away from him and onto the field with the chamomile flowers and then to the clear, blue sky.

“Nothing.” 

Levi huffed, his stone-cold eyes narrowing as he glared at the young girl. He reached over and grabbed her by her ponytail, brows scrunching together as he scowled at her nonchalance.

“Just because we had one civil conversation where neither of us were at each other’s throats does not mean there’s a foundation for exchanging childhood stories,” Levi began pointedly, his fingers digging into her scalp. 

Eden pursed her lips, teeth digging into her tongue as she tried hard to fight off the feeling of discomfort beginning to ooze into her body. She shoved her fists against his chest, albeit not moving him, he was caught by surprise. Levi slowly released her hair, clicking his tongue as the flame of rage glinted in his eyes. 

“Understood, Captain. I’m sorry.” Her tone matched his in temperature; iced and clipped. Levi craned his neck in her direction. 

“What did I tell you about apologizing for everything? You’re a strong soldier, Eden, but this _need_ to constantly apologize for everything will get you nowhere.” He stepped back, clicking his tongue as he held Eden’s stare. 

This was the first time he had called her by her given name. Under different circumstances, Eden would have been thrilled. But now, it just made her want to punch him hard in his face and break his stupid perfectly sculpted nose. 

Levi could sense the anger seeping out of Eden but other than that remained stoic as she rubbed the back of her head where he had gripped her.

He pulled his sleeves up, commanding her to get back into a fighting stance only to have her pinned to the ground under him only several minutes later. 

“You’re not even trying,” he snarled at her, his fingers clenching around the wrist he had pinned over her head. She lightly winced, her head facing to the side, eyes trained elsewhere. 

Levi swore under his breath, the force inflicted on her wrist promising new bruises in the coming hours. He roughly grabbed her by the chin, forcing her eyes to meet his as her neck cracked painfully. She sucked in a breath, tears pooling in her eyes as she shoved him off of her. 

She rubbed any residue of tears away from her eyes before they dripped as she listened to the way Levi gracefully picked himself up. She wanted to wait for his boots to echo away; but didn’t seem to hear the sound of any more movement. 

Levi felt an unfamiliar wave of guilt wash through his tense body as his eyes settled on the bracelet of bruises around Eden’s wrist.

She looked back at him, only to find him staring down at her with a dull expression. 

“Fine. I won’t apologize anymore and I’ll make sure to fight back tomorrow when we go beyond the wall,” she finally huffed out in a snarky tone, making the Captain tilt his head to the side, strands of soft black whisking against his face.

“Maybe you should sit this expedition out then. If you can’t fight your own Captain, what good are you on the field?” He shot back as Eden immediately stood to her feet. 

“No, Captain. I _am_ going tomorrow. And you’ll see...I’ll fight with everything I have within me,” Eden finished, fingers brushing against her wrist as she walked past Levi and towards the castle.

* * *

Eden woke up before the sun was even out. She wore her clean uniform, tightening her body harness around the curve of her waist and thighs. She pinned her hair back into her regular tight bun, smoothing out any baby-hairs sticking out behind her ears. 

She washed her face with cold water to wake herself up and she made her way to the dining hall. The girl couldn’t sleep that night. How could she when she didn’t know what horrors awaited herself and the rest of humanity beyond the walls. 

It was freezing, the crisp morning air making her shiver. She decided to wear her Scouting Legion cloak, the color embalming her with the feeling of immense pride. 

Today’s mission would entail the Scout Regiment’s plan to map out a course from the District of Calaneth all the way to Shiganshina. It would be hard, concerning the amount of titan land they would need to cover to reach their goal. Her heart went for Eren who continued feeling out of place. 

_“These new titan abilities are making me feel so alone. It’s like I can’t meet anyone’s eyes without seeing a glint of disgust in them,” he had told Eden the previous night._

_“That’s not it. Naturally people are scared. But on the bright side, Captain Levi saved you from death. Hange is treating you like you're the most precious stone in existence. It’s not you that they fear; it’s the answers that lay within you...”_

Slowly slowly, the rest of the Special Operations Squad woke up as the sun stretched into existence. Everyone was unbearably quiet, even Oluo couldn’t keep up with pretending to be the Captain. Eden sipped on her water, catching Levi’s fatigued stare over the brim of his teacup from the corner of her eye. 

* * *

Petra pulled her into a tight embrace before mounting onto her horse. “It’ll be fine. Just don’t worry, we’re a strong team altogether!” 

Eden sent her a tight smile before walking over to her own horse, greeting him sweetly as she stroked him gently. 

They met with the rest of the Scout Regiment in Calaneth District. Eden’s eyes swept from face to face, trying her best to find a familiar one. In the distance, she saw Armin and Mikasa, their backs turned to her as they hopped on their horses. 

Her heart raced as she watched her friends, until her eyes met with a familiar boy’s brown ones. 

Jean. 

She bit back a smile as he smirked at her, his eyes trailing to the Captain on a horse in front of her. Eden didn’t have enough time to process everything as Commander Erwin let out a yell, signaling the start of the 57th Exterior Scouting mission. Each Scout member’s horse began ambling towards the district’s exit, the sense of uneasiness and fear reeking around them. 

Eden trained her eyes to the front, her concentration faltering as Levi’s head angled to the side. His jaw was clenched and his undercut was sharp as the longer strands bobbed to his horse’s trot. His eyes met Eden’s for a split moment as though a wordless conversation played between them. 

But before Eden’s stammering heart could leap once more, his gray eyes were gone as Commander Erwin initiated the Long Distance Enemy Scouting Formation. 


	9. The Melancholy of War

An hour into open territory and Eden began noticing the sky filling up red flares. She swallowed hard, urging her horse to continue matching her squad’s pace. 

They persistently switched courses, avoiding as many titans as they could. Eden felt like her heart was stuck in her throat as she watched a thick forest filled with immensely large trees edge closer and closer to them. Deep within her bones, she felt like something was terribly wrong. 

It was going so well until Erwin commanded Levi’s squad, along with the central column wagon escorts carrying some type of special target restraining weapons to enter the forest. Everyone did as they were told and Eden looked back to meet Eren’s cautious stare, only to get wacked across the head by Oluo as he told her to focus. 

* * *

The deeper their horses led them into the forest, the more uneasy Eden began feeling. Suddenly, the razor sharp sounds of ODM gear sliced through the air as two Scouts appeared behind the squad. Eden craned her neck as she watched over her shoulder, her heart faltering at the skinless titan with straw-colored hair and piercing blue eyes. 

She gasped as the female titan swatted the two aerial scouts like flies; the sound of their bones crunching against the trees mentally imprinting in her mind. It sprinted towards them, its physique athletic and lean, as though it was going on an afternoon jog. 

“Captain! Tell us your orders, sir, it’s catching up with us!” Petra shrieked beside her, the panic in her voice thinly veiled. The rest of the squad began voicing their concerns, each individual holding a different essence of panic in their tones as they pleaded for Levi to give them the green light. 

Eld Jinn pulled his blades out, fingers holding onto the handles tightly as he cursed the female titan in a venomous voice. Eren started voicing his own thoughts as he fought a battle of his own- unsure as to who he could trust. That was when Levi whipped his head to glance at the titan for the first time, his hooded stare giving away nothing but boredom. It made Eden feel reassured that he probably knew what was to happen. 

But, who’s to say that those narrowed grey eyes kept well-concealed panic within the Captain himself? She chose to completely disregard that thought for her own comfort. 

“Everyone, cover your ears,” Levi barked out over the sound of the horses’ hooves coming into contact with the Earth floor. They all followed his instructions as he pulled out a sound grenade. 

The blast reverberated through Eden’s core as it echoed into her brain, the sound waves hurting her covered ears. She waited for Levi to signal for them to switch to ODM; but his voice never broke the deafening silence between the comrades. She looked back at Eren with wide, hazel eyes- the way his brain was visibly processing everything as his palm inched closer to his lips. 

She listened to Petra’s pleading, her beautiful amber eyes filled with tenderness as she begged Eren to trust his team. Their goal was to protect Eren- as Levi had said- and his well-articulated speech directed to the young boy resonated deep within the young girl’s soul. Eren had the power to transform into a ravenous beast once his teeth grazed the soft flesh of his hand. But instead, he chose to sit back nervously and trust his Captain’s judgement. 

Truth be told, it shocked Eden. The boy she had grown up with was an impulsive wreck on the verge of a breakdown at any given moment. He thought with his heart, not with his brain. And to see him falter like that truly made her think just how much trust her comrades had in Levi.

She looked upwards, the muscled fist of the female titan wide open as it stretched towards Eren. Eden gripped her horse’s reins tighter. 

Then it all happened so quickly. 

The sounds of canon fire seeped through the air like a never-ending parade of lightning bolts. Flashes of yellow, orange, red and white danced around Eden as her mouth dropped. 

It had all been a well-designed trap. Levi’s silence had paid off. The trees surrounding them were filled with veteran scouts, hands pressed against the canons filled with rope that had struck the female titan in every single open area against her skin. 

They rode in silence for a little while; away from the entrapped beast. 

“Halt further upwards and switch to ODM gear,” Levi commanded, his voice calm and collected as his boots pressed against his horse’s saddle. “I’ll need to break away for awhile. Eld’s in charge. Keep Eren hidden.” His eyes moved to meet with Eden’s pained ones, as though realization that they were about to be truly alone crept into her. “And tend to my horse.” 

He flexed his gear’s grapples, the hooks ripping through a nearby tree bark; whisking him back towards the female titan. 

Eden held onto her breath until her lungs started burning, her stomach churning uncomfortably. She felt nauseous. 

* * *

“A spy. Are you sure?” Gunther’s question had ripped Eden out of a trance as they stood atop several tree branches; fists clenching against their blades.

“Well, no. But I’m sure Commander Erwin believes it. Think about it, Captain Levi had us use Eren as bait for the sole purpose of leading the titan into the trap created by the Commander. Seems to me there’s some sort of suspicions going on within the upper ranks. What if there’s someone else who possesses the same titan abilities as Eren?” Eld replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he spoke.

“Maybe the reason why he didn’t let you in on the plan was not because he doesn’t trust you, but because they were uncertain as to where this titan spy was placed within the ranks?” Eden continued, earning an astute nod from the second-in-command and Petra. 

Oluo scoffed, waving his weapons in the air towards Petra. “You see that, snivel-drops? Even our newbie doll over here cooked up a better assumption than you.” 

Petra rubbed the back of her neck, closing her eyes as she sighed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I guess I was wrong for questioning the Commander and Captain’s trust in us.” 

The chattering continued for a few more minutes until Eld instructed them to move.

They switched to ODM gear, soaring from branch to branch as they glanced up at the sky expectantly. A green flare painted a line through the sky. 

“Must be the Captain,” Eld muttered as he shot a green flare in response, letting the rest of the squad members know their course had changed. 

Eden’s sweaty palms gripped on her gear for dear life as she elegantly swooped from one branch to another; careful not to waste too much gas. That knot in her stomach continued tightening and growing; reaching her lungs as she struggled to control her breathing. 

The ghost of goosebumps licked against her skin as she noticed an extra person edging closer to her squad, blades extracted. Her scream left her throat a moment too late as the traitor’s weapon sliced against the thin flesh on Gunther’s throat. 

Everything after that was clouded by a blur of emotions and adrenaline. Eld had shoved Eren forward as he yelled for him to keep going. Eden bit her lip as she commanded herself to stay strong; the sight of Gunther’s hanging corpse becoming smaller as they sliced through the air at immaculate speed. 

“Go Eren, get back to the Scouts. We’ve got this!” Eld commanded in a hard voice, Eren’s deep-blue eyes seeking refuge in Eden’s hazel ones. 

“I can’t leave you here, I’ll fight too...-”

“After everything, do you still not trus...-”

“Eren, if you want to reach your goal. You’ll leave,” Eden spat out, interrupting Petra harshly. “You’ll go and leave it to the team designated with your protection to deal with this obstacle. Please, if you care about the promises you made me keep; that day in Shiganshina. The promises you made Armin and Mikasa swear to. If you really meant all of that, you’ll go...” Eden finished, her voice breaking. 

Eren looked like he was going through the greatest turmoil in existence. He gritted his teeth, eyes glistening as he nodded towards his comrades. Towards Eden. 

“I won’t let you down,” he forced out, memorizing the way Eden’s face contorted into a lopsided smile; her features relaxing. Suddenly, she looked like a normal 21-year old girl; her face rid from the agony that had become part of her everyday routine. 

“I know you won’t,” she whispered, her voice swept away by the forceful hands of the gushing wind. He continued onwards as the rest of the squad slowed down their gears. There was a _crack_ and a bright light emitted through the fractures of space between the trees. Much like when Eren transformed into a titan. 

_That couldn’t be good._

The muscular form of the determined female titan came into sight as she charged towards the remainder of the Special Operations Squad. With a yell, they attached the hooks of their ODM gear to the upcoming trees, closing in on the titan. 

With Eld and Oluo flying in the titan’s eyeline, Petra and Eden lowered themselves a couple of meters above the ground. The men spiraled in the air, hooks sinking into the titans eye sockets as the two women worked on slowing her movements down. 

Blood splattered against Eden’s skin as her blade sliced through the tendons of the titan’s ankles, an exasperated cry seeping out of its wretched mouth. It grabbed onto Eden’s iron wires, yanking her away from her partially-severed foot; throwing her against a nearby tree column. She let out a bloodcurdling cry as she felt her ribs snap inside her chest, her eyesight beginning to blotch. She focused on her breathing, her lungs trembling at the pressure and pain. 

Eden didn’t have the power to pick herself up as she lay twisted against the floor. The familiar taste of metal engulfed her senses as the liquid trickled down her brow, staining her skin, lips and teeth. She felt so helpless, utterly vulnerable- served like a fresh meal on the decaying ground.

The sound of blades fracturing flesh sounded around Eden- her eyes squeezed shut as the blood and headache punctured her brain. She heard screams, first a female one...and then a male one calling after her. 

By the time she had managed to squeeze one eye open; her heart had dropped down to the pit of her stomach; the screech that came out of her lips terrifying and broken.

Petra’s body lay mangled against a nearby tree, her soft, strawberry-blonde hair moving with the breeze. Oluo’s corpse settled against the ground several meters away from her. Eld was gone too. They had been defeated. 

Accepting that picking herself up on her two feet would be practically impossible; Eden dragged her body towards Petra’s; her salt tears mixing with her crimson blood. She didn’t even have enough power to cry out loud, for she had fallen into shock. 

Groaning and grinding her teeth, she pushed onwards; completely missing Eren’s transformation as he took on the female titan with vengeance oozing through his veins. 

Eden continued making her way to Petra when the sound of metal hooks clenched against the tree’s casing resonated beside her. A familiar harsh grip settled on her shoulders as he flipped her body around. 

She landed on her back, the sudden movement causing her to choke. Levi descended to his knees, his virulent eyes wide and blank. 

“What the hell happened here?” He snapped in an urgent tone as his gaze fell to Eden’s chest and the blood stains that would not evaporate. 

“I don’t know...we saw the flare. We figured you wanted to find us...turns out it was the titan in human form. It came and killed Gunther...then transformed...and...-” 

“Alright, take a breath. Are you badly hurt?” Levi’s jaw clenched as he watched Eden nod tightly, lips pursed as she bit back a cry.

“I’m not sure, Captain. I think my ribs are fractured, if not broken. If you can just help me up, I’ll finish the...-” 

“Like hell you are, brat,” Levi commanded, voice frigid and absolute as his fingers gently pressed against her shoulder. “I’ll see to Yeager. I want you to stay put; I’ll come get you when it’s done. And don’t you _dare_ fall asleep,” he finished, scowling down at her the small sense of relief coiling within the Captain as his soldier gave him a tight nod. 

Within milliseconds; he disappeared towards the sounds of titan clashing into titan. Eden’s eyes dropped, but she shook her head to keep herself awake. She knew that in these instances, it was vital not to fall asleep. 

But as her eyes grew heavier and her fingers grew colder; that fact began completely slipping out of her mind. The last thing she could remember before her world got painted black were his stormy grey eyes that could see through everything, but reveal nothing.

* * *

Soothing movements rocked Eden out of her reverie. Her head was pounding and heavy; her ribs were crying and her heart was bleeding. 

She felt like a wreck as she slowly came back to consciousness. The horse’s hooves clashing against the even ground; distant, grim chattering and the sound of wagon wheels all overwhelming her at once. Eden shot forward, only to have her waist grabbed by the person behind her. He settled her back onto the saddle, gripping the horse’s reins from behind; his forearms brushing against her nonchalantly. 

The young girl glanced back and was met with Levi’s usual, indifferent stare. His physiognomy was so detached; as though they had just come back from regular sparring. 

“Stop moving before you topple off my horse. I have no interest in scraping the horse’s hooves for remnants of my cadet,” Levi huffed, his cloak’s hood framing his chiseled face as he silently urged the horse to pick up its speed. 

Eden looked back ahead, watching the wall edge closer and closer. 

_Were they really back home?_

She paused, face contorting into a hurt expression. It doesn’t really matter. This was all for nothing. 

* * *

Walking through the city was hell on its own. The scrutinizing glares and judgmental eyes of the citizens pierced through Eden’s body. Levi had leaned over and muttered for her to ignore them but it hardly tended to her nerves. 

She kept her head trained forward as she listened to a male citizen push through the Regiment, conversating with the Captain directly. He was soft-spoken and his words were filled with pride. 

Then, he had uttered out _her_ name. 

The name that had made Eden’s heart stop; her lungs fighting for air. 

He continued inquiring about her, only to be met with Levi’s screaming silence that had answered all of the citizen’s questions for him.

* * *

The following day, Eden lay in the infirmary part of the Scout Regiment’s headquarters. Eren was strapped to supplement tubes in the cot beside her, napping loudly. 

Jean came to surprise Eden in the morning. Historia, Connie and Sasha were also recruited by Levi to live in the castle. It was eerily strange having them around; as though they were cadets, fresh out of the Training Corps; eager to take down to world. 

There wasn’t much discussion, but from what Eden could remember, when Mikasa and Armin came to visit her; they had told her that Captain Levi had personally handpicked the remaining members of the 104th Training Corps, in order for them to train and protect Eren as Hange continues with their titan-shifting progress. 

As for Captain Levi; he was never around. At least not in the infirmary, anyway. He had dropped Eden off that same day and left without a word, or even a glance behind his shoulder. It stung Eden. 

“Did you hear that Captain Levi had a girlfriend?” 

“No- I think she was his fiancée.”

“What was her name?”

“Petra, I think? Petra Ral.” 

She listened to Sasha and Connie discuss the deceased girl as a chill struck through her. 

Were they lovers?

Eden gripped her sheets until her knuckles grew pale; a white, hot ball of fury coiling within her. She wordlessly fumed, her mind soaring from question to question. Why did she feel hurt and discomfort at the words uttered out by her comrades? 

Brushing the queries aside; Eden concluded with the fact that she was just mourning. With everything happening so quickly, the youthful cadet did not have enough time to properly grieve away her feelings.

But even Hange came to visit her in the infirmary. Could it be that he was blaming her for what happened to his squad...his beloved? 

* * *

Eden pulled up her oversized pajama shirt, her fingers gliding against the the black bruises starkly juxtaposing the porcelain skin on her torso. 

On the brink of being broken- just severely ruptured. The nurse told her to stay away from training for the time being and be careful when she moved around. 

But, as she lay in her cot seething and battered; she began feeling disgusted with herself. Levi had saved her from the same fate she was due to experience as her fallen comrades. And he hadn’t mentioned them at least once. 

Disregarding the miniscule voice squeaking in the back of her head to head back to the infirmary; Eden made her way through the coldness of the empty hallways and towards the Captain’s office. It was past twelve, so she had no fear of running into someone unexpected. And she was almost certain he would still be up. 

She waited for his voice to invite her into his office and she saluted him after closing the door behind her. He waved her salute off with a tired hand, his fingers seeking refuge against the bridge of his nose. 

“What is it, brat?” 

Eden pursed her full lips, ignoring the growing pain in her temple. He looked almost as bad as her. The skin under his eyes a ghastly coal color, the way his brows scrunched in the center revealing a different, more unmasked side of him. 

Her charcoal locks swished against her shoulders as she made her way to his desk, arms folding awkwardly against her chest; careful not to meddle with the bandages under the thin fabric of her shirt. 

“I just came to ask you how you’re doing,” Eden said in a soft, almost gentle way. Levi finally looked up at her. 

“I’m fine,” he declared in an even tone; his expression a blank canvas that made Eden perceive that he could be feeling any type of way right now. But, she would never know. 

“I’m sorry the expedition was classed as a failure. I wish I could have done better...to help Eren...to help _them_...” Eden’s voice broke off in a whisper as she barely managed to finish the sentence. She felt as though she was at the brink of falling into a vortex of insanity; her heart couldn’t cope with the flickering images of her fallen squadmates in her mind.

“You did what you could,” Levi stared up at her from his chair as he paused, lips pressing against his teacup. “There’s no point for you to start blaming yourself for things you can’t change.” 

Eden huffed, his insensitivity striking her across the face. She pushed the stray strands of hair behind her ears as she meticulously reflected on her next words. 

“I know- I mean- I’ve heard that you and Petra were close,” she rushed as he turned his frigid stare back to her face, “I understand if you think this is none of my business; but if you feel like you want to vent, I’m here to listen.” 

“Right. Is there anything else you need?” Levi asked slowly. Eden couldn’t think properly in that moment as she began feeling that pit of anger and despair bubble up within her. She felt like this flame was too powerful for her to tame as it slurred within her circulatory system; making its way to every inch of her body. Every crevice was filled with this lawless, bewildering animosity that blocked her from thinking straight. 

She huffed, turning her back to Levi as she stalked towards the exit. Her fingers covered the doorknob, muscles pulling the heavy door open. But before she could stop her own actions; her arm slammed the door shut with a loud thud.

Twisting her body around in Levi’s direction; Eden’s eyes blazed with hot fury and torment as she strode over to his desk. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” She yelled at him, her ribs pressing against her inflated lungs in a twisted way; the reaction resulting her almond eyes to brim with tears. Levi’s lips parted slightly, the frown growing deeper, his eyes widening slightly.

“No no, I mean it, what the hell is wrong with you? How can you sit there, commanding everyone to clean and train and prepare for the worst when you lost your entire squad?” Her voice was filled with emotions, her heart palpitating in her chest, so hard she could barely hear herself over the sound of her blood rushing. “It’s all about trust and being a team; but when they are gone, you suddenly stop giving a shit? I haven’t even being in your team for that long; I understand if expecting you to at least _ask_ me how I’m feeling could be a little far-fetched; but what about Oluo? And Gunther and Eld? And Petra?” Eden cried as he slowly stood up, his eye twitching as though he was ready to beat her to death. 

“I don’t know who the fuck placed all these fairytales in your head, but you need to calm down and start thinking straight,” Levi warned her in a low, phlegmatic way. 

She let out a heartsick laugh. “That’s a twisted way of -once again- avoiding your emotions. How can you be so heartless...-” 

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” Levi barked out, catching the way she flinched at his tone. “You know absolutely nothing about the way I feel. How can you stand here whining because I didn’t physically show you my grief?”

With a few long strides; Levi stood before the quivering girl. He clutched her by the jaw, shaking her as he yelled in her face. “You don’t know how many people I’ve watched die. You have absolutely no idea how it feels knowing that the people you were once in charge of are now dead.” 

Levi roughly let go of a distraught Eden and she winced as her heart clenched painfully. “Didn’t you come to me saying you feel this weight of responsibility on your shoulders? I thought you- of all people- would understand what the pressure of obligation meant,” the Captain spat at her, his voice dripping with venom.

 _And torment?_

Eden couldn’t believe her Captain. She stood there trembling and thrashing back at the images of her fallen comrades. They flickered through her mind as though they were imprinted into an album. 

Levi watched her carefully with his peripheral vision. Eden walked back towards him, jabbing a finger against his chest as the tears began flowing down her cheeks. “You don’t get to guilt trip me into feeling shitty for coming to you now. Or that night. And maybe I don’t know what it must feel like to lose people over and over again; but when I do lose someone I care about; I can’t exactly keep a blank face on and go around telling people to clean the second floor for the third fucking time that day because you miraculously found one speck of dust on the staircase railing.” Her jabs turned into shoves as she let out an overpowered cry. 

It was all too much. His eyes, his apathetic voice, Petra’s smile long-gone, even Oluo’s frustrating quips. Eden’s knees weakened as she felt him grip her biceps; the devastated sobs coming out one after the other. It was the type of pain that clenched her heart until she physically couldn’t think properly- knowing there was nothing else to be done but accept the fact that she needs to move on.

She collapsed to her knees and Levi smoothly dropped beside her. Eden fell back against his chest, her shoulders convulsing, the tears a never-ending river of sadness stroking her skin. She felt his arms awkwardly embrace her smaller frame; her side pressed against his body as she cried into him. 

Eden didn’t even have the power to feel sadness anymore. Numbness crept through her, but that somehow sliced through her heart in a different type of way. 

Nonetheless, she sat crying in the Captain’s office and he was more than willing to let her do so.


	10. Recuperation

Eden spent the following week healing her ribs and grieving away her misery. 

Safe to say, she spent a lot of time in the infirmary cot or rather being dragged back to it by an irritated Captain or nurse every time she snuck out to watch her team train. 

She missed being able to train- the feeling of uselessness making her itch as she craved to feel her muscle’s ache after a good sparring session. But, the one thing that had left Eden feel utterly confused and unable to sleep at night was how the events played out between her and the Captain that dreadful night after the failed 57th Scouting Expedition. 

The pale girl couldn’t remember passing out in his office, her tears staining her cheeks and she felt extremely puzzled the following morning when she woke up tucked in her cot. It made her question whether her breakdown really happened because Levi hadn’t mentioned anything to her and was acting as indifferent towards her as he always would. 

Nine or so days after she sustained her injuries, the nurse finally gave her the green light to take a walk around the headquarters. Eden didn’t even let her finish as she grabbed at the fabric of her long skirt and dashed out of the infirmary- leaving the troubled nurse alone with her mouth open.

Eden sauntered through the hallways; her heart racing rapidly as she watched the sun’s sharp rays slip through the spotless windows, carpeting the stone floors. She grinned as she passed Sasha and Connie- who in turn cheered for her.

“Where are you going?” Connie asked, swatting Sasha’s hand away from her mouth as she tried nibbled on a stolen slice of bread. She grumbled, tucking it in her pocket. 

“I’m just going to go for a stroll. I need some fresh air. Is anyone still training?” Eden tilted her head to the side as Connie stroked his chin thoughtfully. 

“Not sure, I know Mikasa and Armin went to oversee Eren and Hange, sooo you might have some peace and quiet!” 

Eden laughed, shaking her head as she thanked the duo and continued towards the fields. 

Her mind wondered to Levi’s unknown whereabouts, but she cringed at the thought of embarrassing herself in front of him again. 

_He had visited her in the infirmary the day after her breakdown; awkwardly strolling towards her bed- his grey eyes detached and cool. He eyed her from head to toe as she stiffly sat up against the pillow, fingers grazing over her blanket._

_“Erwin has called me to discuss some urgent matters. I’ll be gone for a day or so. He inquired for you to join me; but due to the circumstances of your injuries; the internal bleeding and concussion; you’ll have to miss it,” Levi spoke in a low, gruff voice as he craned his neck slightly; looking down at her- the longer silky strands of his hair falling in front of his eyes._

_Eden gasped softly, pushing the covers off her body as she made her way to stand up in front of him. “No, sir, I’m okay, look.” She stood up in front of him, knees wobbling, the top of her head nearly colliding with his chin._

_He huffed, enclosing the miniscule distance between their bodies as he sternly grasped her shoulders, pushing her back against the bed._

_“No need to put on a show. I’ve made my decision,” Levi replied, his voice absolute, leaving no space for discussion. Eden narrowed her eyes up at him, velveteen lashes fluttering shut as she suppressed an eye roll in._

_When she opened them again, she met Levi’s perplexed features. He was giving her the strangest look ever but she couldn’t decipher what it was. Eden swallowed hard as he shook his head ever so slightly- the sudden rush of anxiety brimming in her brain as she settled back against the pillow, her slender fingers moving to cover her bare legs once more._

_Levi let out a soft “tch” as he turned towards the exit, his uniform pristine, cape flowing in sync with his movements. “Try not to injure yourself on your way to the bathroom.”_

_He was gone before the blush on Eden’s face could fully settle against her cheeks._

Eden didn’t know why the memory of yet another awkward encounter between herself and her Captain popped into her mind. Nevertheless, she continued making her way towards the empty training field, her boots crunching against the gravel, her nose filling with the scent of fresh, green grass.

“Don’t tell me you came here to ogle at me,” Jean’s distinct voice called out from behind her. She yelped, turning around to glower at the tall boy, his dirty platinum blond hair tousled. 

“Don’t flatter yourself, your fighting skills hardly impress me,” she affirmed, raising a brow as he smirked down at her. 

“So you do watch me. What a creep,” Jean replied as he bit back a laugh when her face contorted into a cringed-out expression. He walked towards her, his walk emitting confidence to the point of cockiness. 

“I had to keep myself entertained somehow. Watching you through the window as you fell on your ass each time Captain Levi corrected your every single move really did make me laugh.” 

Jean grimaced at the sound of their superior’s name, as though he was brushing away a nightmare. It made Eden laugh again. 

He walked beside her, matching her slow pace as the painkillers started fading away, her ribs aching uncomfortably. Regardless, she didn’t want to ruin the perfect day as she walked alongside Jean, her dress scrunched up in her fists in fear of having to deal with Levi’s wrath if she walked back into the headquarters all muddied up.

“So you impressed the Captain after being on the battleground once. Told you you’ve got nothing to worry about,” Jean nudged her side as Eden scoffed under her breath. 

“You can say so. Although, it wasn’t his decision for me to join them, it was Erwin’s. I’m sure our Captain would have loved to drop me because we didn’t exactly start off on good terms.” 

They chattered for awhile and Jean’s smirk grew wider every time Eden cracked a smile. 

The young girl bent over to pluck a withering chamomile flower, her teeth pressing against her bottom lip as she suppressed a groan- her tender ribs grazing within her chest.

Jean immediately helped her stand up, his firm hands pressing against the curves of her elbows, fingertips lingering as he let go of her. 

“Seems to me you’re well enough to help out your comrades with cleaning duty, brat.” A cruel voice broke the peace between the two cadets. 

Both Jean and Eden’s heads whipped back, meeting a pair of angered, iron-grey eyes. They saluted Levi formally and he stared back at them in severe distaste. Eden stepped away from Jean, feeling her Captain’s glare drilling into her as though she had just been caught stuffing her face with the limited supply of rations- just like Sasha got caught the night before.

“You can go make yourself useful and clean the bathrooms. Make sure to use to correct sponge for the facility you’re sterilizing,” Levi pointedly told Eden, his eyes narrowing threateningly when she didn’t spring into action right away. 

“I can help her, sir...-” 

“Now now, I think the brat is perfectly capable of scrubbing a toilet or two on her own. You can go and help Connie pick up the horse shit. I’m sure you’ll have fun,” Levi interrupted Jean, completely disregarding the way the younger man’s eye twitched in irritation. The Captain then stalked off, his blood seething in the strangest manner. 

* * *

Eden wanted to pull the hair out of her head as people constantly walked in and out of the restrooms. Her hand flexed into a fist as it wrapped around the wooden handle of her mop when Sasha walked out of the bathroom for the second time, her shoes leaving marks against the newly mopped and wet floor. 

“I’ll kill you for that,” Eden grumbled at the overly-energetic girl, who in turn grinned widely and apologized before sprinting out. 

The raven-haired soldier then decided it was best to lock the bathrooms and ignore her fellow cadets’ whines as she continued cleaning every single spot in existence. Albeit having two small restrooms with three cubicles each; it wasn’t a lot of ground that needed to be covered. But, Eden knew that it didn’t matter to Levi because his probing eyes would _always always always_ find something to sulk about.

Alas, she was finally done with her task. 

After meticulously placing all the cleaning supplies away; she went looking for her Captain to report her fulfilled duties. To her surprise, he was nowhere to be found. She pursed her lips as she walked back to his office for the second time, dainty knuckles thumping against the hard wood of the door as she called out for him.

She was met with silence. Letting go of a deep exhale, she proceeded to walk down the grand staircase; her eyes lighting up as her stare was met with Jean’s tired one. 

“Soldiers my ass- I feel like we’re the maids of the Scouts Regiment,” he muttered under his breath as Eden broke into a laugh, her head shaking. She pulled her hair out of the usual bun; cheeks heating up when Jean twirled one of her charcoal curls with his fingers. 

Eden glanced up at him through fluttering lashes; her lips pursed awkwardly as she held back a smirk. “Careful now, I might assign you to cleaning duties once more.” 

Jean feigned offence, the corner of his lips curving upwards slyly. “Oh really?” He tilted his chin upwards, eyes still fixed onto Eden’s face as he tugged onto her hair sharply. 

She winced, swatting his hand away as she chuckled under her breath. 

“Stop that,” Jean said in a low voice, cocking an eyebrow. “You’re gonna accidentally summon Captain Levi and he will appear out of thin air. I prefer spending my evening relaxing far away from cleaning detergents...” 

As though Jean was prophetic, Eden caught stiff movements with her peripheral vision. She coughed loudly, viciously elbowing Jean in the gut as she mutely warned him of the Captain’s imminent presence. Jean hurriedly choked on his words, his face becoming pale as the look on Levi’s face failed to betray whether or not he had heard their conversation. 

Eden pouted her lips, the laugh she was desperately trying to hold in hurting her ribs as she avoided Levi’s stare with all her might. 

“Didn’t I tell you to go clean, brat?” Levi inquired, his voice even and lethal. She looked up from her boots, brows bunching together. 

“Yes, sir. I finished a while ago; but I couldn’t find you anywhere to report back.” She looked away, a feeling of nervousness washing as she sensed his eyes drilling a whole through her head. 

Jean cleared his throat embarrassingly- and to Eden’s relief- was graced with Levi’s attention. 

“Your cleaning is atrocious. I’d make sure the stables are immaculate before going to bed tonight if I were you, straw-head.” 

Jean glowered down at the Captain, his jaw clenching in irritation. “Yes, Captain.” He sent Eden a distressed smile before walking off. 

Levi shifted his attention back to the girl. 

“Let’s see how well you’ve cleaned this time,” he offered in a highly irritated voice and Eden caught his jaw flexing as he stood stoically waiting for her to move. 

Eden immediately jumped to action, shyly brushing past him, her eyes avoiding his. She was so thankful to know that he was unable to see her hot cheeks as she proceeded to walk in front of him; wordlessly leading him to the restrooms. 

Their boots were the only noise that echoed between them.

When they reached the bathrooms; Levi brushed past her, his arm grazing hers as he moved to inspect everything. She stared at his back, the way his white shirt rested with absolutely no creases against his skin, the brass buckles on his harness gleaming in the moonlight. 

He didn’t glance or even utter out a word to her as he walked past her, disappearing in the darkness. The structure of his jaw was still tightly clenched and his hooded eyes stared ahead; the sound of his boots growing fainter until Eden heard the distant slam of his office door. 

She leaned against the doorframe, eyes fixed on the floor as she frowned deeply, the crevices on her face growing more sunken as the feeling of frustration and confusion began boiling and fluttering in the pit of her stomach. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much to anyone who's read the story up to now! I truly appreciate all the support I receive; whether it be from hits, comments or kudos! 
> 
> Sending much love your way! Stay tuned for more. ;)


	11. Entangled Affiliations

Eden and Levi’s sparring sessions strictly continued. He would constantly bark and fix even the smallest mistakes in her posture and movements. It made Eden frustrated; but deep down she knew it was best if she kept her mouth shut and profusely followed his articulate instructions.

Levi glared back at Eden with an irritated scowl, his eyes squinting as she once again messed up her posture. She let out an irked sigh and raised her arms, the long strands of her fringe blinding her for a split second. But, that was enough time for Levi to smash her against a nearby try; his forearm pressing against her windpipe as she choked. 

“Dammit, brat are you playing dumb or are you actually just an idiot?” The Captain seethed at her, his jaw clenching as Eden tried wriggling out of his grasp. She held his hard stare, her face reddening at the pressure of her closed windpipe. Her heart faltered for a moment as she caught Levi’s hooded, grey eyes flicker down to her parted lips. 

She came to the conclusion that she was either about to die or she was already dead. 

Levi let go of her swiftly and watched her sink down against the ground, desperately gulping in air. She mentally thanked him for pressuring her because now there was a more obvious reason for her blossoming blush. 

“Guess I’m just an idiot,” she muttered under her breath before flippantly rising to her feet, scowling back at Levi’s unreadable expression. 

He continued torturing her until it was time for dinner; yet the rest of the squad had already bathed and eaten. 

* * *

“Eden.” A brusque voice called for her once she finally fell asleep after hours of trying. 

Levi walked in hastily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes; ignoring the deep scowl that edged into her face. He was dressed in his gleaming uniform, the green hood of his cape pooling around his pale nape. 

“What’s going on?” She asked lazily, eyes widening when a fistful of her uniform was thrown her way. 

“Get dressed. We’ve received intel that Wall Rose has been supposedly breached and so we are to go and investigate. I want us to leave before sunrise,” he replied in a clipped tone before heading towards the hallway.

Eden quickly got dressed, brushed her teeth and pulled her hair into her signature bun. She worked on fastening her harness buckles as she walked down the stairs. Her small frame collided into Jean’s lean body at the bottom of the staircase.

“Shit, sorry,” she mumbled, squeezing his bicep lightly as she slowed her pace.

“Woah, Eden, at least buy me some dinner first,” he drawled out, flashing his pearly teeth down at her with a smirk. That smirk was soon replaced with a thin frown as he gently grasped her wrist, turning her back to face him. 

“Is everything okay?” Jean asked her in a low voice, eyes searching her fatigued face. 

“Yeah, sorry. I’m just having a hard time waking up,” Eden replied, her cheeks painted with a soft, peachy blush. 

He smiled gently down at her, releasing her limb slowly. “My bad, I thought you’re always up for my jokes.” 

She snorted, elbowing him as they made their way to the stables. “Don’t be daft, I’m _never_ up for your jokes.” 

As they made their way out of the stables with their horses; the sky had grown lighter, the soft rays of the sun barely peaking through the thick curtain of somber clouds. Eden felt a wash of uneasiness flow through her like tap-water. 

She vaguely heard Mikasa’s gentle voice calling after her. Snapping her head back at her, she sent the approaching girl and boy a sweet smile. 

“We came to wish you good luck,” Armin began in a soft voice, causing the girl with the reins to frown. 

“What do you mean? Are you not coming too?” Her hazel eyes flickered from Armin’s face to Mikasa’s, her voice betraying the disappointment growing inside her. 

“Hange wants some help with her research and Mikasa’s staying behind for Eren. Krista's staying too. Besides, I overheard Captain Levi telling Hange that a squadron of just you and him would suffice for this mission. It was Hange who told him it was best to play it safe,” Armin offered as Mikasa wrapped her arms around Eden. 

“Stay safe and everything will go fine.” 

“Yeah, I’ll be okay,” she mumbled against her friend’s red scarf, the fabric tickling her cheek as she gripped her harder. After embracing Armin, she waved them goodbye as she urged her horse to merge with the rest of the squad’s. 

* * *

Captain Levi’s jeweled horse strode proudly in the center of their small formation, the green hood concealing his face, leaving Eden scowling at his back. She was met with his hard glower when she sauntered back towards the group after saying her goodbyes to Armin and Mikasa.

They had been galloping beside Wall Rose for absolute hours- the whole day had practically trickled under the horse’s hooves.

But, there was no breach found yet. 

Eden began feeling uneasy as she gripped her horse’s reins tight enough for her fingers to cramp. She listened to Sasha and Connie’s light chatter up until Levi couldn’t take it anymore and ordered for them to bite their tongues. 

His demeanor was so cold and cruel today; it made Eden agitated. It began raining, the drops becoming larger and thicker as time went by. They were drenched and the sky continued rumbling. 

But nothing compared to the warmth seeping through Eden as she tried thinking back to her and Levi’s sparring session the day before. It was only when the Captain’s voice ripped through the silence; that she snapped back to reality. 

“Guys, we should halt for now. It’s too foggy and no one knows how much damage this breach has done to Wall Rose,” Levi snapped, tucking at the horse’s reins as he turned to face his team. 

It was true; an eerily thick fog settled around the Squad. Eden could barely make out the scenery behind Levi’s shoulders. 

“According to my calculations; if we continue heading straight, we’ll reach an old village in about a few hours or so. We can camp out until the storm passes by and then we proceed,” He announced, face void of any emotion. “We should hurry before the weather worsens. Let’s go.” He urged his horse to break into a sprint, Eden’s and the rest of her team’s animals following queue. 

The air was ice-cold and the water droplets smacking Eden in the face were like needles sinking into her skin. She chewed on her bottom lip as they followed Levi blindly; her heart sinking when Sasha’s scream unnerved her horse. 

Sasha’s own horse whinnied as it plummeted to the ground, its owner crying out in pain as she thrashed in panic. Connie’s horse tripped against Sasha’s one and the young boy was thrown off his saddle. Jean immediately sprung off his horse; reaching the two fallen soldiers before Levi and Eden could. 

Sasha’s horse had stepped into some sort of ditch, trapping the girl under its weight, completely twisting her ankle. Connie on the other hand had dislocated his shoulder in the most unnerving way.

Wrapping her arms around Jean’s neck, Sasha bit back tears as he hauled her out of the ditch; Eden calming her horse in the meantime. 

Levi bent over the injured girl, inspecting her ankle. She winced as he prodded at her, clicking his tongue as he stood straight. 

“You’re in luck Blouse, nothing’s broken today. Springer, I have no idea how you managed to dislocate your shoulder like that...but there’s no way you guys can continue with us,” Levi began, his blank stare settling on Sasha’s pained expression. He nodded to Jean; who helped her up as Connie stood beside them, groaning in pain. 

“Jean, go back to base and have the medic tend to their injuries.”

“Yes sir. Eden, let’s go,” Jean began as he placed his arm against her waist, gently guiding her back to her horse. 

Levi let out a soft “tch” as he tilted his head to the side. “No, straw-head, I told _you_ to leave with Connie and Sasha. Eden’s staying with me. We don’t know what we’re up against so I’ll need backup, just in case. We still have a duty to pursue,” he said, the white canvas of his features completely vacant as he scowled at the younger man. 

Jean gritted his teeth, the hand pressed against Eden’s side growing tighter around her waist as she pursed her lips, eyes trained on her Captain. “It’s fine, Jean. We’ve already lost two squadmates. We need to find Wall Rose’s opening before it’s too late,” she stepped away from the tall boy, lifting her chin upwards as she stared into his warm, brown eyes. 

He scoffed under his breath, nodding tightly before moving over to secure Connie on his horse and tie the reins to his own. Eden bit her lip, trotting over to Sasha. 

“Hey, here. I figured you’ll probably need this more than me now.” She handed the injured girl her packet of biscuit rations, her eyes crinkling at the sight of Sasha’s astounded stare. 

“Well, that’s very sweet of you. I guess you can have this in return. You’ll definitely need this now that you’re on a lone mission with Captain Levi.” Sasha pulled out a large glass bottle out from the satchel tied to her saddle; a mischievous smirk glossing her lips. Eden’s eyes widened as she looked down at the bottle.

Whiskey.

She had known of this alcoholic beverage; but never got the chance to try it. The raven-haired girl thanked Sasha, wishing her and Connie a safe journey back home before securing the glass bottle in her own satchel. 

“Eden? Can I talk with you for a second?” Jean’s voice whispered behind her. She spun around, cheeks coloring at the lack of proximity between her body and his. Giving him a strained nod, he smoothly took her by the wrist and led her to some miniscule amount of privacy. 

“Are you going to be okay? I mean, with just you and the Captain...I can offer to take your spot if you want. That’s absolutely no pro...-” 

“No no, don’t worry about it, Jeanie-boy,” she raised a brow at his glower. “I’m perfectly capable of handling challenges on my own.” 

Jean hesitated for a moment, running his fingers through his soaked hair before pursing his lips. Eden took his hand in hers and squeezed on it reassuringly. “You’re acting as if you’re a better soldier than me.” 

He snorted, taking a step closer to the girl, his fingers lacing with hers as he pulled on her hand. “I can only dream.” 

The boy tilted his head downwards, pressing his warm lips against her cold ones. Eden’s eyes widened, brows raising in surprise as Jean gently pressed his body against hers, fingertips brushing against her jaw. It was as though he was trying to physically memorize Eden, her scent, her taste- everything about her. 

Her hands pressed against his chest as she took a step back, separating her mouth from his before bending her head downwards. 

“Jean, now is not the right time.”

He frowned deeply, turning his head back towards the Squad. Scowling at the attention upon them that still lay unbeknownst to Eden; Jean turned back to face her.

“I know. I just didn’t want to regret not kissing you if something were to happen to you.” 

Eden met his affectionate chocolate eyes and smiled at him awkwardly, squeezing his arm before beginning her pace back to her team. “We can talk about it when I come back, if you want.” Her heart sighed in relief when Jean nodded in affirmation. 

Once merged with the squadron, Eden met Levi’s bitter-cold stare once more. She shivered under her clothes; mounting her horse and moving them closer to the Captain. 

Wordlessly, Levi edged his horse onwards, completely disregarding the cadet’s surprise at the lack of commands. Eden turned once more to meet Jean’s worried gaze and praised him with a wide smile that somehow didn’t manage to reach her almond eyes. 

* * *

The sun was about to set when they reached the abandoned village. A blanket of clouds continued following them, the raindrops soaking into their uniforms; drenching both individuals. 

He had not spoken to her once; not that Eden had tried striking up a conversation with the Captain. She could sense his bad mood emitting from him. It was like a drug that made her feel uneasy; the feeling of helplessness etching into her bones as she wondered what the hell he was thinking about. 

“We’ll camp here for the night. I’ll start a fire while you go and secure the horses. I have a feeling this storm will not stop anytime soon,” Levi finally broke the silence dryly as he stroked his horse’s muzzle; his hair dripping with tiny raindrops as the longer strands lingered against his pale face.

“Yes, Captain,” Eden mumbled, taking his reins out of his hand, a feeling of warmth spreading within her as his cold fingers brushed hers in the process. Levi glared at her before huffing under his breath, disappearing into the chosen house. 

When the horses had settled, Eden walked back towards the empty living room, eyes planted on Levi’s bent figure as he discarded his soaking cape. Folding it against a wooden chair; he glanced back at the girl, eyes narrowing as she wordlessly followed his suit. 

Thunder struck the sky, the violent wind knocking the windows aggressively, threatening to unlatch the wooden blinds at any minute. Eden flopped beside the Captain, her fingers nearing the lit fireplace- her blued lips trembling. 

“How do you think the breach happened?” She asked Levi in a soft whisper, her brows scrunching together when he sighed irritably. 

“I don’t know, brat, why do you think Erwin sent us out to go look for it?” Levi snapped at her, eyes never leaving the burning flames. 

When their clothes finally beginning to dry to a limited extent, Levi walked over to the wall of the living room; slumping down gracefully as he pulled out his thermos of tea. Pouring some out in the cup-like lid; he glared at Eden as he drank. She shook her head slightly, pulling her hair out of the tight bun. 

* * *

The silence lay thick in the room, making Eden want to choke on it. Any time she tried to ask Levi something- start up a civil conversation of some sort- he would sharply slice through her attempts and close his eyes- as though the sound of her voice wanted to make the Captain go deaf. 

Eden couldn’t lie to herself and pretend she wasn’t hurt. She walked over to check whether their capes had dried, then she lingered beside the window to watch the downpour of heavy rain crash onto the muddy earth floor. It was torture. 

She pinched the bridge of her nose and then began walking up and down the now warmer room; earning another witty remark from the sitting Captain. 

“Are you unable to stand in one place? You’re giving me a migraine,” he growled out, shoving the empty thermos in his bag. Eden scoffed, tilting her head to the side as she glowered down at him through narrow, irritated eyes. 

“Is there something I _can_ do without pissing you off? I can’t talk, walk, sigh or even cough without earning some sort of bothered remark out of you...” Eden folded her arms across her chest as he looked up at her menacingly. 

“Well, there you go- you answered your own question. And I never said you can’t just sit on your ass and keep quiet, brat,” he sulked, jaw clenching tightly as he ran a hand through his dampened hair. 

“Fine,” Eden sulked back, marching over to sink down beside him, the warmth of being on the same level as the withering fire breezing against her face nicely. His eyes widened in surprise, but other than that he chose to completely disregard her presence for some time. His arm brushed against hers as he settled his forearms against his bent knees, the scarce friction causing Eden to clear her throat awkwardly as she played with the strands of her charcoal locks. 

Suddenly, her mind whipped back to Sasha’s surprising gift as the weather’s iciness reverberated deep within her core. She reached out towards her satchel, pulling out the glass bottle before raising her brow at an emotionless Levi. 

“There’s two options here; either we share this bottle of whiskey to warm ourselves up or we rely on body heat to do the same job,” she offered jokingly, biting back a laugh as his grey eyes widened. 

Wordlessly, he snatched the bottle out of her hand without a second thought and poured some of the liquid into his cup. “Where the hell did you get this from?” 

She tried masking her expression the way he usually would; but the crinkles at the corner of her eyes betrayed the humor erupting inside her. “I don’t know. I guess I just prayed for someone to help me go through the night and this appeared in my bag.” 

He glared at her through hooded eyes, taking a sip as though he was drinking regular, black tea- face devoid of any reaction.

His response to the strong beverage starkly contrasted Eden’s. She took a hesitant sip, her face immediately scrunching up in displeasure as the liquid burned down her throat. She coughed in disgust, the taste still lingering in her mouth- much to her displeasure. But, she was satisfied with the way it immediately warmed her insides up as Levi called her an ‘idiot’ under his breath. 

* * *

Her cheeks grew pink and her reactions became lazier two hours after taking her drinking a fair share of whiskey. The bottle was now half-empty and Eden’s little hiccups echoed through the room like birds chirping. 

The rain still battered at the exterior walls and Levi was as indifferent as ever- his stoic expression revealing nothing about his slightly drunken state. He watched her stretch her limbs as she pulled one of the capes off the wooden chair and around her body. 

Much to her ignorance, it was his cape that she had taken. 

She turned to gaze back at Levi, capturing his curious stare immediately. “Why do you hate me?” 

He paused, jaw clicking tightly as he scowled at her. “When have I ever said that I hate you, you idiot?” 

Eden shrugged comically, glancing at him from her peripheral vision. “I know you do, otherwise, why the hell would you be so harsh towards me?” 

He didn’t respond, instead, he jutted his chin forward and rested his head against the wall. Eden twisted her body to face him, crossing her legs, resting her elbows as she leaned in. “You see? You can’t even deny that fact. You’re always pushing me harder than everyone else. We could be training with the rest of the team, and I could be doing the exact same thing as Sasha is; but you’ll still come to me and yell about my ‘shitty’ posture.” 

His face was void of any expression, except for his grey eyes. They flashed back to her face searching Eden. She felt so miniscule under his scrutiny; as though whatever she was saying went from one ear and immediately out of the other. 

Irritation coiled inside her. “You never get mad if Krista makes a mistake. Even Jean, if he messes up, you just tell him to start over and that’s it.” 

Levi scoffed soundly at the sound of Jean’s name. Eden raised her brow quizzically, her teeth capturing her bottom lip as her brain processed his reaction. She took another swig of whiskey, the liquid burning against her lips as she swallowed it with dissatisfaction. 

“I wish I could read you better,” she mumbled, more to herself than to him. Levi watched as she brought the bottle back to her lips in silence. 

“Am I that interesting to you?” 

His question hung in the air as she thought over her slurred response. “It’s just really frustrating when my Captain downgrades every single thing I try and succeed in. It’s like I’m never good enough no matter how hard I push myself.” 

Eden finally felt the fire in his eyes as he scrunched his brows together, the anger burning a hole through her skull. 

“Correct me if I’m wrong, _Eden_ , but weren’t you the one whining about how you didn’t want to be seen as fragile? And then, the second I go hard on you, you’re going to back down?” He glared at her in a perplexed way, catching how the girl’s ears burned as she ran a hand through her hair; trying to calm her palpitating heart. 

“You’re right, but one thing is helping me get better and another thing is being a sadist about it.” Eden winced at her own words before she could shut her mouth. She fearfully watched Levi’s head swiftly angle towards her, his fingers grabbing her collar as he shook her towards him. 

“You’re an idiot. An absolute fucking idiot. Regardless of whether it’s the drink that’s talking or you- you must be very thick to even think that.” He shoved her away from him as he watched her blush deepen. “Sorry if I’ve disappointed you with my actions. I guess I should start babying you the way your _boyfriend_ does since that seems to be what you’re after.” 

Eden’s eyes widened at his words, lips parting slightly as she lost her voice. That irritation that spread deep within her quickly transformed into anger and embarrassment. 

“Jean? He’s _not_ my boyfriend.” Levi’s impassive expression did not move off the wall behind her as she gritted her teeth, baring them viciously. “If someone were to hear you, they would have assumed you’re just jealous of him and I.”

Her words brought his deadpan expression back to her. “And what if I am?” 

Eden faltered. She felt like Levi had thrown her into the most deep and unknown waters as she wordlessly drowned trying to collect herself. Her heart clenched and the blood rushed to her head and she settled back against the wall. 

Neither of them spoke. His cup lay long forgotten on the wooden floor as he snatched the bottle out of her hands, bringing it to his lips as he drank deeply. Eden stared at his discarded cup in wonder; then back to him. The way the curve of his jaw flexed as he drank; the way his face remained void of any sign of emotions. 

“I’d be fine with that.” 

The moment her soft words- a mere whisper- reached Levi’s ears; he peered at her through the soft strands of hair caressing his face. Eden swore on everything she had ever known in her life, that the ghost of a smile flickered against his downturned lips- albeit it being long gone after she had blinked.

Eden reached for the bottle once more, her fingers clasping its throat before the Captain pulled it back away from her gently, his stoic expression present once more. She pursed her lips as she searched his fatigued face and decided that this was a battle not worth their energy. 

She cupped her mouth as she yawned, her back arching as she stretched once more. His clean scent engulfed her, swallowing her whole. Levi’s cape wrapped around her neck comfortably as her eyes drooped. 

Leaning her head back against the wall, Eden mimicked Levi’s stance as she wrapped his cape around her tightly. 

“What’s the one thing you really want to do when the war is over?” Her muffled voice asked him softly from behind the fabric. 

Levi glanced at her, relaxing his stance just a little as he swished around the whiskey in the bottle. “I’ve always wanted to open up my own teashop,” he replied after a short pause. Eden’s heart raced as she imagined Humanity’s Strongest Solider in a small teashop, making and drinking his favorite brew of tea all day long. 

“Will you make coffee?” 

Levi pursed his lips in distaste, shaking his head stiffly at the thought of disturbing his teashop filled with the strong scent of coffee. “No, why would I want to make coffee?” 

Eden’s eyes slowly began closing more, heavy with sleep. His soft voice didn’t really help her case as she fought hard to stay awake. 

“Because then, I can come visit you in the teashop,” Eden managed to mumble out; her head lulling to the side until it rested against a solid physique. 

Behind her closed eyes, Eden’s vision began blurring as the darkness of sleep called for her gently. She couldn’t really tell whether she had begun dreaming or not as calloused, careful fingers tenderly wrapped around the waves of her hair; twisting and turning until she had completely gone to sleep.


	12. Inconvenient Imagination

The next few days were incredibly uneventful.

Waking up early, long training sessions, cleaning, spending some time around Eren and Hange, more cleaning. It was a never-ending cycle that fatigued Eden more than any of the expeditions they were sent to. 

However, the charcoal-haired girl could never stop thinking about that blurry mess of a night. Her stomach flipped as the blood in her veins warmed up; blotches of memories snapping into her mind at random points during the days and nights. She couldn’t tell whether the moments in which she randomly woke up during that night with Levi’s arm wrapped around her tightly as he dozed off beside her were mere fragments of her imagination. 

Nonetheless, it didn’t matter because once she truly awakened in the morning; he had already moved away. Walking back towards her; Levi tossed her a water flask when the effects of the whiskey lingered at the back of her skull. 

The strangest thing of all was that everything seemed perfectly normal between the girl and the Captain. They continued on horseback and reached the headquarters just as the sun had waved its goodbyes. 

Levi had given her the reins of his horse and asked her to tend to their animals as he stalked off back to his office to note down the strangeness of this mission and report back to Commander Erwin.

_No breach._

Not even one titan jumped in their way. It was truly a peculiar notion that managed to imprint in Eden’s mind as she thought over that fact. 

Yet, a week and a half later, the remnants of that night still managed to crawl back into her consciousness. 

* * *

_She lay on a white bed in a lace, black dress with her hair down. Her waves were like a halo around her head. Looking up, she met her reflection in a mirror above her and she made a face, hardly able to recognize the girl staring back at her._

_Jean appeared, smiling gently down at Eden as he took her dainty fingers, lacing them with his larger ones, pinning her arm above her head._

_Eden stifled a sigh, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch as his free hand trailed over the softness of the flesh against her cheeks, her jaw, her throat, her collarbone._

_He drew a map against her skin, head leaning downwards as his lips brushed the corner of her mouth._

_“I knew you couldn’t resist me,” he groaned against her skin as he fervently pressed kisses down her jawline, Eden’s fingers lacing through his dirty-blond hair. He pressed his knee in between her legs and she stifled a groan, fingers flexing against his hair as she squeezed her eyes shut._

_Suddenly, his kisses grew harder, his fingers grew more desperate as they locked into her hair, tucking her head to the side, allowing him more access to her exposed throat._

_“Can’t stop thinking about me, can you brat?” A cold, impassive voice drawled against her skin. Eden’s hazel eyes snapped open at his voice, her lips parting as she stared up into the mirror.  
_

_Instead of seeing Jean’s light hair gliding through her fingers, she saw Levi’s soft, raven strands of hair perfectly contrasting her pasty skin. She felt her fingertips brush against his sharp undercut as he glided his tongue against the columns of her neck and her back arched into him._

_He pulled away, grey eyes staring down at her indifferently before settling on her lips. He leaned over, his face edging closer and closer as Eden’s heart began racing, the threat of having it rip through her chest becoming very realistic._

Eden woke up with a gasp, her blood pounding in her ears as her forehead lay covered in a slick of sweat. She felt heat coiled up inside her as she squirmed uncomfortably under her sheets, her mind completely void of everything but the most real dream she had ever experienced.

She fanned her face, gasping for air as her head slammed back against the pillow. Her mind flickered to Jean...and then to Captain Levi. She groaned, hiding her face with her arm. She couldn’t bear meeting _his_ eyes. 

Perhaps ever.

Waking up before the first raw sunlight rays, Eden dressed in her uniform and hastily went about with her morning routine. She practically tripped down the stairs when Jean sweetly greeted her from behind.

“Morning, Jean,” she began, saluting him awkwardly before mentally slamming her head against the wall. 

Wrong man. 

He laughed at her and casually threw his arm over her shoulder, walking down the stairs with her. “Eden, I know we’ve been busy and everything; but we need to talk. I feel like you’re avoiding me or something.” 

Eden’s eyes flickered around the empty foyer as she quickly thought of a response. 

“Not at all Jeanie-boy, but I do need to go,” she blurted out, stepping away from Jean when he made a face. “I need to go clean the stables today. That’s why I’m up so early, I wanted to get a head-start before the horses wake up.” 

He stared at her as though she had grown out a second head. She let out an awkward, high-pitched laugh. “Live a little- go for a stroll and I’ll catch you later.” Turning on her heels, she sprinted out of the castle, completely ignoring the way Jean watched her go with a deeply confused frown etched upon his face.

* * *

“Oh really? So, you complain when _I_ make you clean, but then you spend the entire day here scrubbing horse shit on your own?” Levi’s voice made the girl’s eyes widen as she suppressed a groan. 

It took her a moment before she slowly turned back to face his standing form at the entrance, bored expression present, folded arms against his chest. Luckily for her, she was done and so she immediately assumed that it wouldn’t be obvious if she slid past him hurriedly.

She paced towards the exit, shrugging her shoulders comically as she looked down at her boots, hair acting like a thick curtain concealing her bright red cheeks. Her palms were sweating and it didn’t help feeling his cold glare drilling through her skull.

Right as she was about to sigh out in relief, he grabbed her by the elbow. Eden refused to make eye contact as she immediately snapped her head in the opposite direction, heart praying that her flustered face would disappear. 

“Have you got nothing snarky to say back?” He shook her by the arm, his other hand reaching to capture Eden’s chin and bring it back so he could properly scowl at her. Perhaps he was taken aback by her rosy cheeks or the way her eyes avoided his at all costs. 

Eden caught his stiff brow raise with her peripheral vision, albeit the iron grip he had against her jaw. 

“I need to go braid Connie’s hair. I mean no- he’s gonna braid Sasha's. No sorry- he’ll watch Sasha braid my hair,” Eden fumbled out and Levi’s arm still stood outstretched towards her as she stepped back. 

Eden ran as quickly as she could away from the stables, heat coiling within her gut as she felt his perplexed stare follow her every move.

* * *

The two young soldiers met after training and walked back towards the headquarters side by side. 

Jean glanced down at Eden who stared back at him, nervousness fluttering inside her. “I know we need to talk, I’m sorry it’s taking so long.” 

“I can wait,” he replied hastily, running a hand through his hair, making Eden stifle a cough. 

“No Jean, listen; I care about you a lot. But with everything going on, all the stress and shit we have to go through, I just really didn’t have enough time to think about you and I. I’m not really sure if I’m making any sense, but I just feel like I need a little more time to think things over and really stabilize myself on my own two feet.” Eden told him in a gentle tone and this time it was her turn to capture him by the wrist and halt him in his steps. 

He smirked down at her, nodding slowly as he brushed his knuckle against her cheek. “I mean, that’s fine by me. As long as you’re fine trying to keep up with me during our sparring sessions, I bet you’ll never be able to beat me.” 

She scoffed loudly, sending him an eye roll before elbowing him in the ribs. “Please. You’re just lucky I feel bad for you most of the time. I don’t want to send you back to your mother all bruised up because she’ll probably beat me.” 

They bickered for some time, laughing and hitting each other like kids coming out of high-school.

“Thank you for being someone I can truly rely on, Jeanie-boy,” Eden said to him gently before standing on her tiptoes, full lips planting a sweet, tender kiss against his cheek. 

Jean’s expression softened and he gave her the warmest smile. 

She grinned back, yet deep down- to her surprise- she did not get flustered at the intimate touch whatsoever.

* * *

That evening, she lay in Sasha’s bed whilst her infinitely-hungry friend played with her hair- styling it. Connie paced around the room angrily; talking about the cookie he had stolen from the preserved rations; only to later find out that Sasha had stolen it for him. 

“Boohoo, I wish I had your problems,” Eden rambled out, wincing when Sasha accidentally pulled on her hair a bit too tightly. 

“Oh, I see, are you too tired of having Jean crush on you? Is that it, Eden?” Connie sat on the edge of the bed, leaning towards the laying girl, his thin brows bobbing up and down. Eden kicked him off the bed with her knee, but it was too late because Connie’s words had already caught Sasha’s attention.

“He’s right you know, we saw you _kissing_ , hehe,” Sasha cackled as she continued braiding small sections of Eden’s hair together, completely ignoring her flustered expression. 

“Don’t get me started, this isn’t even the half of it,” Eden said timidly as her two friends gasped simultaneously, urging her to go on. 

“I had a _dream_ last night. And Captain Levi was in it,” she mumbled out and only Sasha managed to hear it at first. She laughed hard, tears pooling in her eyes as she dodged Eden’s slap aimed for her arm. 

“What?” Connie yelled irritably, cupping his ear to delineate that he did not quite understand what she had uttered under her breath. 

“I said...I had a dream and the Captain was in it,” Eden said in one breath, covering her crimson face with her palms as Sasha _and_ Connie laughed hard. 

“I can’t- you dreamt about _Captain Levi_? That’s hilarious, imagine if he knew...-” 

As if on cue, said devil barged through the door- standing at the threshold with an emotionless expression on his face. 

“Sorry to interrupt your little slumber party but I wasn’t satisfied with today’s training session so you’re going out again.” He stepped to the side as Sasha and Connie sauntered past him, still giggling under their breaths. 

Eden let go of a large sigh before hopping off the bed and following her friends’ suit until Levi gently caught her by the wrist. She spun around, eyes fixing on the way he held onto her before she gingerly glanced up at him; heart palpitating faster under his sharp stare. His fingers faintly glided against the braids laced in her hair; making Eden purse her lips as another wave of blush caressed her cheeks.

“Your hair looks different, good different,” he uttered out casually, his face devoid of even the slightest bit of expression.

Eden held onto the air in her lungs. “Thanks,” she managed to sigh out. She watched as he stiffly nodded, letting go of her wrist. His cold fingertips lingered as they brushed against hers and she began chewing on her bottom lip when he began walking off, her hand feeling empty.


	13. Corporal Appetite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thank you so so much to everyone who's read up to this chapter!! Thank you for all the Kudos, Comments, Bookmarks and Hits.  
> You literally make my day! 
> 
> Please be advised that I am reposting this chapter because I decided to go back and dive deeper into the certain office fight.  
> I'll post the following chapter in the next day or so,
> 
> Much love, Niki

Eden felt it deep in her bones that an expedition would be thrown at them soon. It kept her up at night, tossing and turning as she wondered how many lives would it cost for them to trudge beyond the walls once more.

She decided pushing herself during training would have been the best way to exhaust her thoughts. She sparred with every single squad member for hours on end. Then, she’d run laps until her muscles would give out and she no longer had any physical power to contemplate anything. 

“Get into pairs,” Levi had snapped one of those days, flexing his arms against his chest as he impatiently waited for his subordinates to match up. Jean raised an eyebrow as Eden shuffled towards him, smoothening her hair down as she cocked her own brow. 

“I’ve decided I want to keep today’s sparring session relaxing. I can’t be bothered to put in much effort, no offence.” 

Jean snorted in response; whacking Eden on her arm. “None taken. I can’t exactly be afraid of a toddler dressed up in soldier attire.” 

Eden tried her best to feign offence, but his comment made her burst out laughing. She kicked him in the shin when she finally calmed down and caught Levi’s glare with her peripheral vision. 

The girl took a deep breath, clenching her fists as she viciously began the sparring session with Jean. He was quick to move out of the way and she was faster at calculating her next move. It pleased her immensely when she managed to topple him to the floor, albeit their difference in body mass and size. 

“You’re lucky you’re just cute and I feel bad I might hurt you too badly,” Jean coughs as he grabbed Eden by the hand, using her as an anchor to pull himself up. She grinned widely at him, shaking her head as she stretched lazily. 

Connie and Sasha were messing about, Mikasa was with Eren, Krista and Armin were together whilst Levi watched over the pairs with extreme distaste. 

Or perhaps it was just boredom.

She listened to Levi correcting Connie’s stance and scolding Sasha for fooling around. Her amber eyes flickered away awkwardly back to Jean when the Captain’s own hard glare shifted towards her. Eden’s guts twisted uncomfortably and she wanted to heave. 

The vivid dream from a few days ago had also vaporized her mind. It felt incredibly real, as though it was Levi’s real fingers dragging against her flesh as she had panted under him. The coldness of his touch made Eden’s spine shiver, goosebumps peppering against her skin. 

Her cheeks were always a tainted peachy shade and it was incredibly difficult for her to maintain eye contact with him for a long period of time. Thus, she decided it was best to avoid him as much as possible. 

“Eden, let’s go eat; we can train again later,” Jean pulled her back into reality, his hand squeezing her waist gently as she blinked slowly. 

“Alright, I guess you’re a masochist or something. I don’t know who else would want their asses kicked by a _toddler_ ,” Eden deepened her voice, mimicking Jean who in turn chuckled lightly. 

“Maybe I’m just into strong women who are able to defend themselves,” he replied back cynically, the corners of his lips tucking into a wicked smirk. Eden rolled her eyes, freezing her movements when she heard Captain Levi’s cool voice from behind them.

They saluted him formally and he nodded back stiffly. The wind ruffled Levi’s hair as he marched towards them, the strands flickering before his eyes- not that it seemed to bother him.

“You’re dismissed,” he scowled at Jean, jutting his chin back towards the castle, wordlessly commanding him to leave. The younger boy hesitantly accepted his order and left sulkily, glancing back at Eden who reassured him with a smile that never reached her almond eyes.

“When you’re _done_ , come to my office brat,” Levi instructed her in a composed manner; his eye twitching at the sight of her wordlessly staring down at her boots as she followed him back to the headquarters. 

Her silence irked him deep down, but his indifferent mask stood stoically against his face. Levi brushed past her when Eden glanced at him quickly before mumbling her affirmation. She watched him stride away, the confidence in his walk practically oozing out of him; his white shirt clinging to his body exquisitely. Eden felt her heart strain painfully as she stood staring at him walk; deciding she’d take a longer path back to base.

* * *

With folded arms across her chest, Eden intently listened to Armin share his strategic plans with the rest of the group. They had all gathered in the Captain’s office, the parchment map neatly sprawled against his impeccably polished desk; Hange, said Captain and the rest of the squad circled around it. 

Armin nervously spoke, stuttering every once in a while, completely captivating his audience with his scheme talk. A few chosen squads- including part of Levi’s Squad- would venture out into the openness of Titan territory within Wall Maria. 

There had been countless reports along the Wall Rose claiming there had been a surplus amount of humanoid creatures seeping towards human territory from the South-East direction. 

It was a risky mission Commander Erwin had bestowed Hange- who in turn decided Armin was fittest for cooking up a plan of action. Eden’s heart faltered slightly as she thought about all the poor souls destined to lose their lives the following day. She contemplated whether there was someone else who was currently thinking about how they’re probably standing beside someone who’s got less than twenty four hours left in their hourglass. 

Hange took over when Armin was done with his share of opinions. Eden caught his stare and smiled warmly at him; the twitch of her lips faltering as her grim thoughts infested her mind. He grinned back at her, nervousness abstracting him from catching onto her contorted, saddened face. 

“This is a highly significant mission that could ultimately lead us one step closer to find out the secrets laying in your father’s basement,” Hange broke Eden’s reverie as her eyes settled on the key resting against his chest. “We’ve supposedly sealed Wall Rose’s breach. But, if the claims are true and there is a sudden increase in titan sightings; then maybe something else is going on,” Hange stroked her chin idly as she stared down at the faded parchment. 

A haughty “tch” slipped out of Levi’s lips as his grey eyes finally ripped themselves off the map. 

Once the meeting was adjourned, everyone made their way towards the exit of his spacious office and Eden followed sulkily. She missed being on the battlefield, knowing her actions could someday bring humanity closer to freedom; but she was deathly afraid of being paralyzed by grief once more. She cringed at the thought, her slowly footsteps leading her closer to the threshold. Until he called out her name. 

She tilted her chin to the side, staring down at the floor from the corner of her eye before listening to him irritably command for her to turn around and face him. 

Eden closed the door softly, trembling fingers engulfed around the icy metal of the handle, her hand flexing behind her back as she made her way closer to his desk. 

Her lungs began burning intensely as her cheeks flamed up upon meeting his levelled stare. She forced herself to hold his gaze, blinking back at him through velvet lashes. Levi’s jaw clicked, the muscles in his mouth growing tense. 

“I must say, you seem to be slacking,” Levi began, watching her carefully from behind his chair, fingers brushing against the headrest. Eden’s own bones clenched, her full lips concealing the way her teeth grinded against each other.

“Instead of improving your skills; your result levels are mediocre and stay the same...dare I say they’re worsening by your lack of concentration.”

His words hurt her wounded ego. Each syllable hurt more than the previous one- like salt being continuously poured into an open gash. Eden’s knuckles grew as pale as the parchment still spread across his desk. 

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I could have worked on everything today,” Eden inquired in a sharp tone, ignoring the glare he sent her way.

“I guess I just came to the conclusion now. I think your skills are lacking and it seems like your concentration levels are far off, brat. It’s sickening to think that a fellow comrade could potentially lose their life because you were too busy daydreaming about other things,” Levi replied in a venomous tone, his monotonous voice making everything sound even worse to Eden. 

She stared at him wide-eyed and in horror. “With all due respect, Captain, but what the hell? I’ve proven myself to you countless of times; I’m ready to lay my life down if it meant saving others from that fate. I would never, ever allow myself to lose focus, especially during a life-or-death situation...”

“You should sit out of this mission. Spend the time thinking over your faults and then depending on the outcome, I’ll decide whether you’ll join us on the following expedition,” the Captain coolly cut through her words, craning his head to the side as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. 

His nonchalance made Eden seethe. 

“Why do I have to sit out of this when I’ve demonstrated that I can handle this? I don’t want to stay here...-” 

“This is an order, Eden, we’re not negotiating here,” he lashed out at her, albeit his consistent, unbrokenly-calm reverie. “I will not have anyone killed out there because of you.” 

His words poisoned her heart. She was so taken aback, she physically had to force herself to stay on her feet- her mind growing murky. Her mind flashed back to Petra and Oluo, Eld and Gunther. 

“Excuse me? Are you actually trying to insinuate that the death of your comrades were my doing? I was smashed against a tree by a 14-meter tall titan and you’re really going to turn around and blame their deaths on me?” Eden’s voice came out high-pitched and broken as she slowly edged closer to the desk. 

“After you saw how hard it was for me to accept their deaths, you’re going to turn round and saying the one thing I never thought I’d hear you say...” Eden’s eyes burned with tears as she violently blinked them away, the familiar anger Levi so comfortably sparked inside her grew lit once more. 

She shook under her clothes, the tremors sending jolts of adrenaline through her as she desperately tried to keep her cool; to no avail. 

His words had caused a different type of heartbreak within her soul.

She extended her arms to keep herself from falling, her body leaning in over the desk as she stared at him through infuriated, betrayed eyes. “How dare you try to blame this on me?” 

Levi finally looked back at her, his own grey eyes enlarging ever so slightly as he met a pair of hazel eyes filled with an unfamiliar fire that he could swear he had never known before. 

He challenged her wordlessly and it took all within her not to flinch and break under his stare. 

But Eden knew her limits and when he scoffed under his breath; that border was long forgotten and overpassed. She ripped the map off the desk, hauling it to the floor before grabbing the empty tea cup and smashing it against the wall behind Levi. 

The man did not flinch as he watched Eden stalk around the desk, her expression contorted into one revealing immense anger. 

“You keep telling me you want to see me fight and give my all, right? Well, let me prove to you that I’m a soldier who’s willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the greater good.” Eden aimed to punch his face, wincing slightly when he casually seized her wrist, twisting her round until her back collided with his chest. His hot breath tickled her neck as she writhed against him. 

Using her elbow, she shoved the bone into his ribs and used the one split millisecond she had whilst Levi was recoiling to spiral out of his arms and aim a kick towards his face. 

But no matter how unanticipated her moves were, Levi was always one step ahead of her. 

"Control yourself, what the hell do you think you're doing?" He snarled at her, grabbing a fistful of her feathery, ember locks and shaking her viciously. She ripped her hair out of his grasp and sucked in a pained cry as the burning sensation of her aching scalp spread all over her skull. 

She snarled in frustration as Levi blocked her upper-cut punch, both of his hands pressing against her collarbones as he shoved her hard against the wall; knocking the wind out of her lungs. Pain seeped through the back of her skull as blotches appeared before her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, Eden attempted to insistently push her Captain as far away from her as possible.

Unfortunately, he was always faster and stronger. Snaking his fingers around her wrists, Levi pinned Eden's arms above her head; forearms pressing against her arm as she shuffled between him and the wall. 

“Are you going to behave or do I need to tie you up, brat?” Levi seethed, tilting his head upwards, eyes continuously holding hers as he kept Eden pinned with enough force to make her limbs go numb. Thrashing felt pointless. Every move Eden thought of pursuing ricocheted through her mind, biting her in the ass as her brain continuously informed her that she had lost. 

She huffed under his grasp and suddenly it dawned to her how incredibly foolish she had been acting. But his words, his indifferent tone; it caused her so much pain, she didn’t feel like she had it in her heart to ever forgive him. The physical pain of his stone grip bruising the tender flesh on her wrists did not hurt as bad as the pain his words had inflicted within her.

Mind pounding, chest heaving and heart breaking. That's how Eden felt as she stood uncomfortably pressed against the coolness of Levi's office wall. 

Eden could practically taste the tension in the air. It settled around them like fog, sealing her lungs and her ability to think properly. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, heart voraciously beating against her ribcage. The blood rushed to her ears and with every breath Eden took, she could hear her blood pumping. The heaviness of the atmosphere clogged in her throat. Biting her lip, Eden tried with all her might to wriggle her wrists out of his deathly grip once more. 

"Shit," she let out a low groan when Levi yanked her body closer to his, only to smash her back against the wall. Eden's head dropped, the force making her feel nauseous as he did it once more whilst he spoke. 

"Why the fuck are you acting like I owe you an explanation?" Levi yelled in her face, his sharp nose practically brushing against hers. "If I tell you that you're sitting out of this expedition; I expect you to shut the hell up and do as you're told. What's your need to constantly fight against every word I say to you?" He shoved her hard against the shoulder as Eden stayed silent. 

"You just couldn't act like this as soon as I told you? Nodded and fucked right off to whatever affair awaited you? You make me sick," Levi spat the words out through gritted teeth, brows scrunched together as he glared at the ragdoll of a girl twisted painfully under his grip.

Eden tried her best to keep her tears at bay. But, guilt ebbed away at her. Regret oozed through her, making her stomach flip repulsively. Those were the two feelings she could never stop despising. Knowing that if she really did just close her mouth and accept his commands; she wouldn't have pushed him to this extent. After a lengthy pause, Eden finally lifted her head to meet his enraged sneer. Something within her faltered when she held his stare. 

Levi's eye color was a concoction of grey and blue. She searched every inch of his face as he immobilized her against the wall, iron grip never faltering. Eden would have assumed that by now, her breathing would have regulated. But it grew ragged and short the longer Levi stared at her.

Hazel eyes flickered towards downturned lips causing her own lips to part slightly. 

Darkened, grey eyes slowly widened, pupils dilating slightly as Eden's gaze began reflecting his. She swore that beneath the desensitized skin around her wrist; Levi's strained clutch grew imperceptibly lighter. 

In that very moment, Eden sensed all the darkness and trauma coiled up within her trickle away. She had completely forgotten about the pain piercing through her muscles as they clenched above her head. She tilted her chin upwards, her nose perceiving the faint scent of gentle cologne and tea. 

Levi's own glower had contorted into an unreadable expression. It was strained, but not the type of pressure that reflected into his eyes like a ferocious flare. 

Without much of a warning, he released Eden's arms as he slammed his hands against the walls; making Eden tremble at the sudden movements inches away from both sides of her face. She watched his downturned face concealed behind a veil of thin, obsidian hair. 

Strange, uncomfortable tremors spiraled within her gut. It was like something was crawling deep inside of her, nestling into every single crevice of her body. These nuisances would then heat up- reminding Eden that no matter how hard she tried; she would never be able to rid herself of that feeling.

Scrunching her eyes shut, she shoved him hard and he stumbled back. Eden stared at him dumbfounded; completely not expecting his steps to falter. This was perhaps the first time she had caught him off guard. 

Darting towards the door, she let out a shaky gasp when Levi grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her away from the exit. 

“You don’t just start shit like this and then leave whenever you please,” he growled under his breath, brows scrunched together as he clenched his jaw tightly. Eden pulled her arm out of his grasp, glaring back at him before turning to head towards the exit at a faster pace. 

"You should have just let me to rot with the rest of your comrades," Eden gnarled back at him as she simultaneously took a few steps backwards before spinning back towards the door urgently.

To her disappointment, Levi had grabbed her by the back of her neck, bending her around until his face was once more inches away from hers.

“ _Don’t_ walk away from me, brat. You're absolutely the most obnoxious creature I've ever had to deal with. Can you stop acting impulsive for just one fucking moment and think about how stupid you're being?” Levi said through gritted teeth, watching in unpalatable skepticism as Eden’s face reddened in fury. She shook her head forcibly and grabbed his hand. He stared at her haughtily, releasing her neck with a push, scowl growing darker when she began heading towards the door once more. 

She vaguely heard Levi bark out her by her name and after reaching a few meters outside his office, she slammed into a tall lean figure. 

“Eden, what the hell?” Jean asked in a perplexed voice as he pulled her back onto her feet; his grip tightening when his gentle eyes met the Captain's hard glare. 

Jean’s eyes shifted from Levi’s menacing stare to Eden’s troubled one and with gritted teeth, he went to step towards their superior. 

Eden leaped in front of him, gripping his sleeve tightly as she wordlessly told him he was about to make the gravest mistake of his life. Jean hesitated, but nonetheless took a step back; his insides burning with immense rage when Levi’s brow raised in a vexing way. 

The girl continued pulling at Jean’s sleeve silently, leading him away from the Captain’s office. She craned her neck to peak back towards him; his stone-cold eyes meeting hers before he slammed the door of his office shut. 

* * *

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Eden repeated after Jean continuously urged her to reveal the outcome of her hour with Levi, but no matter how hard he pressed her, she did not back down. “Just a stupid quarrel. He told me to sit this expedition out instead of joining you guys tomorrow...” 

Jean huffed under his breath as he walked her back to her bedroom. His forearm rested against the frame of the open door as he stared down at Eden with a frown.

“I can stay and hang out with you, if you’d like?” Jean muttered out as she wrapped her arms around his waist. 

“No, Jeanie-boy, you need to rest, you have a long few days ahead of you.” He rested his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. 

“Admit it, you’ll miss me.” 

Eden smirked as she pulled away gently, biting on her bottom lip. “Maybe just a little bit.” 

Bidding each other good night, Eden closed the door lightly before changing into her oversized shirt and shorts and throwing herself into bed. 

* * *

Hours had passed and she could not stop thinking about everything. About the expedition, about Levi...and then Jean...and then Levi again. She groaned, thinking back to Jean’s words earlier that evening. 

Quietly padding through the dead hallways, her heart ached as she thought back to her altercation with Levi. It took all within her not to swerve her body into his offices’ direction as she continued straight ahead. 

The girl quietly waited outside his door until it slowly cracked open.

“Eden?” 

She looked up at him, blinking at the sight of his bare, lean chest, the way his muscles rippled when he stretched. 

“Jean, do you want to hang out?” 

He groggily rubbed his eyes before letting go of a breathy laugh, moving to the side, admitting her entrance. He was dressed in just sweatpants, the v-line on his body highly defined. It made Eden’s cheeks grow pink as she silently thanked the dimness surrounding them. 

Pulling her knees against her chest, Eden settled her back against the wall as Jean leaned back against his headboard. The sat in comfortable silence until his deep voice brought her back into the room. 

“Listen, are you sure you’re okay? I swear, if that man tried to hurt you in _any_ sort of way, I will...-”

“I already told you, it was nothing. You know me, I just get upset very easily and I don’t like being put into time-out,” she replied hastily, running a hand through her freed locks as Jean watched her. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to risk your position in his squad just for me.” 

He snorted, lips curling upwards mischievously. “Maybe I’m just using you as an excuse to fight with the Captain and then once I get kicked out, I’ll form my own squad. Then, I’ll have you recruited.” Eden laughed at his words, gently shaking her head as he scowled at her. 

“Yeah, you’re right. As if Levi would allow me to transfer you into my own squad.” 

“Oh sure, because that was the only fault in your plan, right?” 

“Yeah yeah yeah,” he brushed her words away as he chuckled and she moved to swat at his arm. But, Jean was quicker and he pulled Eden closer to him by her arm. 

Her eyes widened when she realized that she was straddling him. She awkwardly settled against him, causing him to grip her by the waist to stop her erratic movements. His fingers flicked the hair off her neck, settling around the curve of her throat. 

“What are you doing?” She sighed out when he tilted his head to the side, pulling her closer to his face by her neck. 

“I just wanna see something,” he muttered, thumb brushing against her jawline. Eden let out a low, shaky breath as she kept her eyes settled against his. 

Jean swiftly captured her lips with his own. The kiss was tender and gentle. It made Eden melt away within the comforts of his bedroom; far away from the unknown deep waters that’s every other aspect of her life. He pulled her closer by the waist, his toned arm snaking around the small of her back as she shifted in his lap. 

A moment later, she ripped her lips away from his, gasping for air; her forehead pressed against his as he waited for her patiently, eyes closed, taking in her sweet taste. 

Eden’s arms were looped around Jean’s neck, her chest pressed against his as her face scrunched up at the forbidden thoughts beginning to plague her mind. She wanted to cry out in frustration as her mind imagined stone-grey eyes glaring at her. 

She swore she could taste unsweetened black tea on her lips as her mind messed with her, bringing out images of Levi. His captivating stare, his constantly downturned lips, the dark circles under his eyes made Eden feel nauseous with emotions. 

Her lips collided with Jean’s in a harsher, more vicious manner. It was as though she no longer needed to breath, she needed something more to succumb to her unquenchable, carnal thirst. Soft moans and mewls escaped in between her heated, desperate kisses as she tried to rid herself of the intensely grey, sunken eyes that could not be erased from her mind. 

Jean let out a groan when she tucked on his hair, feeling his sharp undercut graze against her fingertips. Through closed eyes, Eden imagined the stark contrast of straight, charcoal-black hair against her pale fingertips; forcing her grip to grow stronger. 

Her brows were scrunched together and her eyes were tightly squeezed shut. A single teardrop managed to wet her velveteen lashes as she drowned in the idea of her lethal Captain under her. 


	14. Amending Ties

Training had become Eden’s life. 

She trained from the brink of dawn, up until Hange dragged her back into base for dinner. As the only member who had stayed behind from Levi’s Squad; she felt astonishingly stupid. 

When Eden wasn’t running laps or working on building her muscle strength; she cleaned anything she could find, and until her fingers grew raw. The windows were invisible, the floor was glistening, the banister free of even a grain of dust. There were a few Scout members who had also stayed behind at the headquarters; but Eden did not find the power to strike up a conversation besides a meek “hello” and a friendly “good night”. 

Her mind raced with thought of her last moments with the Captain. By the time she had woken up the following morning; Jean’s bed was cold and the atmosphere had altered into a grim, grey nightmare. Albeit sharing nothing more but a few hungry kisses; Eden felt both calm and guilt-ridden at the same time. Her mind was all over the place.

She avoided lingering anywhere close to Levi’s office, afraid it will bring back her dreadful memories to life. A stone-cold weight tangled around her heart, pulling at it uncomfortably as his dull eyes flickered in her mind.

Her muscles were constantly aching. Once the ache of her hard training began going away, Eden would grow exasperated and go train harder; whether that was going into the nearby forest and practice her ODM skills, or just finding any sort of exercise that would keep her mind at bay and her muscles in pain. 

But this one morning, she walked through the empty corridors; the other Scouts all laughing and sparring outside as Hange locked herself in her own office- memorizing all the information Eren had bestowed upon her with his new powers. 

Her dainty fingers curled through the thin fabric of her long skirt as her heart beat against her ribcage. She blinked twice before walking towards the Captain’s office, her hand coiling around the doorknob shakily. 

His office door was unlocked. But of course, no one would ever dare walk into Levi’s office without his permission. Why would he care enough to lock the door when it was a known fact that the person guilty of entering his personal space would suffer horrendous consequences? 

Eden’s eyes widened slightly when she saw the dim-lighted layout staring back at her. His office was in the exact same condition as when Eden had stormed out- a vortex of emotions reflecting in the mess around her.

She looked at the ripped map on the floor, the shards of china glittering across the floor from the cup she had thrown. Guilt washed through her as her lack of anger management scrutinized her.

Bringing all the cleaning products she could muster; Eden began tidying Captain Levi’s office quietly, her brows scrunching together when she bent over and picked up all the small pieces of the broken cup. 

The girl decided to look for glue and then spent a long hour sticking all the pieces together carefully. Once she was done, she twirled the cup in her fingers, picking up a black marker and scribbling a small “sorry :(” on the cracked surface, shaking her head as she gently placed the cup back onto its tiny saucer.

There was something incredibly peaceful that had washed through Eden during the time she spent cleaning Levi’s office. It was like all the wrath and outrage etched within her had slowly begun fading away every single time she had successfully cleaned one of his shelves; or when his desk became as spotless as it usually was. 

After spending a few hours locked behind her superior’s office door; she vaguely heard horse’s whinnies and people’s voices. Eden ran to the window, pressing her cheek against the cold glass as she tried to see the commotion. But, it must have been happening on the other side of the estate. 

She went to pick up the cleaning supplies when the sound of boots echoed behind the closed door. 

Eden froze. 

Without any rational thought, the agitated girl fell to her knees behind Levi’s grand desk; her head ducking as she waited for the footsteps to fade. 

But they never did. 

The front door slammed open as someone hastily walked in. The sound of their boots came to a halt. There was a short moment of hesitation before any noise broke through the silence. 

The door closed slowly. 

Eden held her breath until her lungs burned uncomfortably. The thought of Levi finding her behind his desk made her want to throw herself out of the window. 

She listened to rustling before a loud thud echoed through the room. The sleeve of his cream-colored jacket hung over the edge of the desk, brushing against Eden’s face. She pushed it away gently, heart stammering at the sight of dried up, unevaporated blood. 

Had he been injured? 

The rip of fabric and a low groan reverberated through the office. She peaked her head above the wood of the table. 

Levi stood with his back facing her, hair tousled; fidgeting with the grey fabric of his shirt that stuck uncomfortably to his skin. He clicked his tongue in irritation, huffing softly as he ripped the cloth covering the right side of his ribcage, where a large gash stood freshly opened against his pale skin. 

Eden rose to her feet, cheeks peppering with a faint blush.

Levi stiffened to the sound of movement; his head craning in her direction as he stared at her over his shoulder.

“Are you unaware of the term ‘knock before you enter’? That’s still a valid expression if you’ve decided to come through the window,” he said in a gruff voice, eyes narrowing as he watched her fidget behind his desk.

“I’m sorry, sir. I had no right barging into your office without your permission. I wanted to clean up before your arrival. I didn’t know you'd returned...” Eden offered in a low voice as she tried her very best to conceal the tremors in her speech. 

Levi ignored her and walked towards his desk, the ripped cloth pressed against the wound as it soaked with his blood. 

“You’re hurt,” Eden whispered, eyes widening at the blood. How could he walk around when it was clearly visible he was in no position to stroll around so carelessly? 

Levi scowled at her before glancing down at his concealed injury. He huffed under his breath. 

“Thanks for the heads up,” he snapped at her huskily, unfastening the ODM buckles wrapped across his torso. Eden could tell he was struggling to do so with one hand; but knew that he would never in a million years ask her for assistance. 

So she decided it was best if she did not ask. Instead, she stalked towards him and gently brushed his cold fingers away from the metal clasps; brows scrunching in concentration. Ignoring the jolt of electricity that rushed through her when she touched him; she loosened the leather straps. 

Levi stiffened and watched her wordlessly, mouth pursed tightly as his right hand pressed against the bleeding wound. Eden hurriedly finished and headed towards the connecting room after inquiring whether that was a bathroom- earning a tight nod from the Captain as he leaned against his desk awkwardly. 

After several moments, she emerged from the bathroom, bucket filled with warm water, a cloth and a bottle of transparent alcohol. Eden had also found a first-aid kit box filled with sterilized needles and thread and placed all of the items on the desk beside him. 

She didn't have the time to stare at him; the defined muscles peaking through the ripped fabric of his shirt and his sunken, tired face because agony seeped through her at the sight of the smooth, red liquid tainting his skin. She submerged the cloth in the warm water, squeezing the remnant liquid out before pressing it against his skin. 

The cloth grew red almost immediately as she continued cleaning the site. 

Eden met his hooded eyes before pressing her lips together in a tight line. “I can suture the wound for you, if you want. It’ll hurt, but I promise I’ll try my best to be as quick as I can.” 

Levi had not flinched once during the whole cleanup session. He had watched her intently, grey eyes leaving her face only when he wanted to check up her method of cleaning the wound. “Go for it, brat.” 

The girl nodded in affirmation, urging her nerves to calm down as she reached for the needle. At this point her hair was messed up, her fingers were stained with Levi’s blood and her mind was spinning.

Never would she have imagined being the person tend to Humanity’s Strongest Soldier’s battle injuries. 

Her heart spasmed rapidly as she closed the wound, Levi’s fingers snaked around the throat of the alcohol’s bottle. He took a long swig, eyes closing as the needle made intricate contact with his flesh. 

Eden shoved the hair out of her face with the back of her hand; completely disregarding the wetness that smudged against her cheek. 

When she was done, she bent closer to his skin, cutting the thread with her teeth as her fingers pressed against his lean chest. She pulled away, inspecting her good work. 

She would never let him in on the fact that she had never sutured a human wound before. She merely had a passion for sewing from a young age and assumed she’d be able to stitch him up efficiently. Lucky for Eden, she was successful. 

Taking the bottle out of his grasp, Eden sent him a gentle smile before tipping some of the alcohol over his stitches. She watched in amusement as Levi’s expression contorted into one filled with pure rage as he glared at her, jaw clenching tightly. 

“Enjoy my suffering while it lasts,” he spat out at her, earning a breathy chuckle from his subordinate. 

“It’s okay, I’m done now,” she replied gently as she patched a layer of soft, cotton gauze over the fresh stitches. 

She glanced at him, smiling lightly as her blood began pounding in her ears. “There. Now you can go back to sulking and drinking tea.” 

Levi stared at her intensely, his grey eyes fixating on a certain place of her face. Eden’s cheeks pinkened as she imagined what a mess she looked like; tangled hair, scrunched up clothes, wide eyes looking sweetly back at him. 

The girl tried her best to keep the emotions away from her face as Levi reached over to grasp her jaw. Keeping her face secured in his grip; he tilted his own head to the side as his thumb grazed over her cheek. It moved slowly inward until his fingertip brushed against her lip. 

Eden’s breathing hitched in her throat as she parted her lips lightly; mesmerized by his captivating eyes once more. It was as though she was in trance, unable to look away as the only thing she could focus on was his hand on her face. 

She leaned into his touch ever so slightly. 

A long pause settled between them. It was both comfortable and incredibly nerve-wrecking. Eden did not know how to feel in that moment. 

She dropped her head when Levi pulled his fingers away excruciatingly slowly. Eden let out a low sigh before pulling herself to her feet, eyes searching his as he too, pushed himself off the desk. 

“I’ll head out, I don’t want to bother you any further,” she mumbled, pushing her hair behind her ear as she twisted her body towards the door. 

“I need to meet with Hange, anyway,” Levi replied in a cool tone, his indifferent mask back in place. Eden felt as though she could catch that mask crack every once in a while. Even if it was for a split moment. 

He shrugged his cape back on; concealing the wound with the velvet, green fabric before opening the door for Eden thoughtfully. 

Eden turned her head immediately as her blush deepened, clearing her throat hastily and thanking him under her breath. 

They walked side by side as Eden made her way to greet the rest of the Squad whilst Levi headed to Squad Leader Hange. 

Her hazel eyes widened as the familiar face of a boy always eager to see her came into view. He stalked up the stairs, cocoa eyes never leaving her face. 

“Eden,” Jean greeted her softly, bending over and brushing his lips against her cheek. 

The girl glanced at Levi who stalked off; the muscles in his jaw tightly clenched. She blinked slowly as she watched him leave her sight; trying her best to brush the feeling of disappointment threatening to conquer her soul. 

“Jean, are you okay?” She stepped back, checking his uniform for any signs of bleeding. He seemed fine. 

“I’m alright. It was a tough couple of days- everyone in our Squad is fine. Can’t say the same about some of the other teams, unfortunately. You look...different.” he replied, looking away as trauma flickered behind his eyes visibly. Eden rubbed his arm reassuringly. 

“Don’t think about it. It won’t do you any good. I’ve had nothing better to do but train, so thanks. Would you like to go for a walk?” 

Jean searched her eyes in wonder, lips curling upwards as he played with a strand of her hair. 

“Already trying to get me alone, Eden? At least wait till I shower.” 

Eden scrunched her nose in distaste, shaking her head as she shoved Jean gently. 

“I’m just curious about what happened? I’ve never been on a practically week-long expedition. Must have been horrific?” They walked together towards their usual training spot, Eden’s ears perked up as Jean began telling her all about the last few days. 

Eden listened intently to the sudden, unexpected titan attack that ambushed their campsite on the second night. She hugged her knees close to her chest as the words of his memories trickled through his lips like a fairytale. 

They had found a gap in the wall, practically concealed by a nearby forest, large enough for 12 meter and shorter titans to come through. Eren had spent an entire days trying to build up enough force to seal the breach with the broken remnants of the wall. 

Finally, Eden had built up enough courage to ask Jean what has happened to Captain Levi. 

“I’m not sure, to be honest. One our way back, a few abnormals intercepted us. Captain Levi told us to go; he wanted to handle them and have us reach safety, I guess. After some time, he just came back on ODM, bloodied up and moody. You know how he is; but I heard he had gone to rescue some of the fallen comrades from the other squad. I think that’s when he got injured.” 

Eden’s skin dotted with goosebumps as she chewed on her bottom lip. How easy it was to be wiped out by a titan. Gone in the blink of an eye. 

She felt like she was about to physically be sick. 

“I want to talk about us,” Jean pulled her reverie back to the present; picking a chamomile flower and handing it to her. She took it gracefully, smiling warmly at him, eyes creasing.

“What about us, Jeanie-boy?” 

He rolled his eyes at the nickname, readying himself to throw a snarky remark Eden’s way. But she was quicker, blocking his words before he could open his mouth.

“I really enjoyed the night we were together. I feel...safe with you. I can’t really explain it. But I feel like I don’t want to put a label on anything just because of the circumstances,” she replied meekly, resting her chin on her knee. 

Jean smirked widely at her, standing to his feet and pulling Eden up from under her shoulders. “Fine by me, darling. But, this doesn’t mean I’ll be going easy on you during training.” 

Eden’s own full lips curled into a mischievous grin, grabbing his chin before pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank the heavens, I was starting to think you’re going all soft on me.” 

They began walking back to the headquarters as the sky grew painted with every shade of orange, pink and red whilst Jean told her about Hange’s celebratory surprise scheduled later that night.

* * *

It was a campfire night. 

Hange had decided to treat her and Levi’s squad to a quiet night under the stars; in honor of Eren’s ability to seal the breach. They had plenty more information to uncover; but during the mission, it was established that there had been an extinguished campsite close to the breach. This led the superiors thinking that there must have been a few titan-shifting traitors amongst the ranks. And this could subsequently be tied to the female titan from a few weeks back.

Regardless, Levi’s Squad and some of Hange’s teammates sat around a large fire, the crisp nighttime air cooling their skin whilst the flames melted the cold away. 

Eden and Jean came a little later because they both went to their respective quarters and took showers. Sasha and Connie snickered upon their arrival, her three childhood friends smiled at Eden tenderly, Hange was too busy speaking to her second-in-command whilst Levi sat looking as bored as ever. 

Jean sat beside Eden on the bench surrounding the fire and Eden shifted uncomfortably. They had managed to sit down exactly opposite their Captain. So, wherever Eden looked, she would always be in his view. 

Her palms grew sweaty as the chilly breeze kicked in. She let out a low whistle, awkwardly turning towards Jean. 

“I’ll be back soon, I guess I should have brought my jacket...-”

“Here,” Jean shrugged his cream-colored Scout Regiment coat and threw it over her shoulders. Eden pursed her lips, thanking him under her breath as she looked down at her fingers in her lap. 

She didn’t know what to do. 

“Would you rather never eat potatoes or never eat meat?” Connie’s voice asked Sasha in a very serious tone. 

“That’s outrageous. I can just choose one and then just steal the other food when no one is looking,” Sasha replied in an equally solemn tone, crossing her arms across her chest. 

“I’d just choose meat and then beat the shit out of anyone who wouldn’t give me potatoes,” Eren responded in a cool tone, shrugging lazily when Mikasa shoved him with her elbow. 

“Ridiculous,” Levi muttered under his breath, slender fingers gripping his teacup in his own, peculiar way. He tilted his jaw the the side when Hange slapped her knee beside him, pulling him into a conversation.

The fire crackled and Eden grew hypnotized by the swirls of fire dancing before her. Over the flames, sharp, grey eyes glared at her. Eden stiffened, holding his stare levelly, raising a brow slightly. 

She jumped at the sudden motion of Jean’s arm settling around her shoulders. Looking up at him, Eden noticed the way his face was contorted into an irritated glower. Her arched brows bunched up together, her fingers flexing in exasperation. She cracked her knuckles, staring down at the tips of her boots, unable to brush the feeling of disappointment. 

Eden wanted to ask him how he was feeling. Whether he felt any pains in his wound. If he wanted her to redress and clean the injury tomorrow. She wanted to ask him whether she can accompany him on the next expedition; knowing damn well she would be of much more use fighting beside him rather than waiting for them to come home like a bored housewife. 

Most of all, she wanted to ask him why the hell she could feel his constant stares burning into her soul. Why his eyes were the only ones that made her feel like he could read her like an open book. 

She wanted to know when the hell her heart started hammering in her chest every time his face flickers through her mind or when she hears his detached voice that perfectly matched the deadpan expression he constantly carried around with him.

Eden wanted to know why he kept looking over and why that made her insides burn with an unfamiliar flame that threatened to burn her crucially. 


	15. Delirious Cataclysms

The conversations around the campfire grew slower and sloppier. Hange’s squad had brought out beers. Eden had some; but not enough for the alcohol to take over her mind. 

But, sufficiently enough for her cheeks to glow a light pink shade and for her eyes to continuously attach themselves onto Captain Levi’s face. 

He, on the other hand, looked incredibly perplexed as he stuck to drinking tea. Glaring in distaste at the looks of his comrades slightly boozed-up; Levi’s glower grew deeper every time they met Eden’s hazel eyes. 

Jean’s arm lazily rested around Eden’s shoulders and he pulled her flush against his side. The girl stiffened, dropping her head as she stared at the pebbles under their boots. 

“Eeeewwww....get a room guys!” Sasha giggled in her high-pitched voice. Connie slapped her shoulder and wriggled his brows at Jean; who in turn curled his lips upwards, the effects of his beer visibly painted against his cheeks lightly.

“Alright, is the Captain’s office free?” 

Levi snapped his head towards the younger man; emotionless veil intact, yet Eden knew better as she watched his eyes glint with cold wrath. 

She shivered under her clothes. 

“Don’t push me, straw-head.” 

Sasha and Connie broke into a fit of laughter, clutching their sides. Even Eren smirked widely as he watched Jean’s face disfigure into an infuriated scowl. 

He opened his mouth, ready to retort back but Hange beat him to it as she grabbed Levi by the shoulder. “Please, that office will already be preoccupied by our dear Captain and his immaculate stack of cleaning products.” 

That made the potato girl whip her head back and laugh harder; her twin following suit. Many of their fellow comrades joined in at Hange’s snarky joke that displeased Levi even more. He yanked his shoulder out of her grip, rapidly rising to his feet, visibly cringing when a tipsy Hange grabbed his sleeve. 

“No Levi, _stay_ , I’m sorry, I was kidding!” 

He stared down at her, jerking his hand out of her reach whilst huffing under his breath in irritation. He remained quiet as he stalked back towards base; metallic eyes meeting gentle, golden ones in the last moment. 

Her fellow comrades went back to their previous conversations and Eden decided it was perhaps her time to retire for the night as well. After all, she had plenty of memories to go over in bed. Standing up lazily, she glanced down at Jean who raised a brow at her. 

“I’m tired, I’m going to bed.” Eden turned to bid her comrades a good night, stiffening slightly when Jean stood to his feet beside her. 

“I’ll accompany you then.” he replied huskily, waiting for her to begin her pacing towards the headquarters as they both disregarded the obvious whistling directed at their retreating figures. 

“My my, what a gentlemen,” Eden glanced up at the boy, one side of her mouth curving upwards in a sly smirk. He returned the smile, crossing his arms against his broad chest as he leaned against the doorframe outside of her room; shrugging nonchalantly down at her. 

“What can I say, I’m more than just hot.” 

Eden barked out a laugh, running a hand over her face as she tried pushing the blush off of her skin. “Sure, Jean, whatever makes you sleep better at night.” 

They stood outside Eden’s room silently, Jean lazily resting the side of his body against the wall as the girl settled her palm around the door’s handle. 

“Well, good night then.” 

Next thing she knew, Jean’s lips collided into hers with such sheer force; Eden was thankful there was a door the pressed against her back. 

Twisting the handle, Eden walked back into the room, soft sighs escaping through her even softer lips in between heavy kisses. Jean kicked the door shut with his boot and gracefully picked her up, arms snaking around her waist as her legs wrapped around his own. 

He kissed her hard, his tongue fighting for dominance that she eagerly provided him. Their teeth clashed as he bit down on her bottom lip, sucking lightly as a groan reverberated through her body. 

Jean threw her onto the sturdy mattress before pressing his knee in between her legs, bending downwards to capture her lips once more. Eden was so lost in the ecstasy of his kisses; her mind blank. Except, ever so often, she’d think of something that would make her blood boil; her back arch and her kisses harder. 

A low, gruff moan escaped through Jean’s parted lips as his fingers ran their course across Eden’s body before reaching back towards her face. He tilted her head to the side, fisting her hair in his palm as his warm lips left a trail of sloppy kisses from the flesh behind her ear, along the line of her jaw and then against her neck. 

His kisses grew urgent as she felt his teeth scrape against the side of her neck, an unfamiliar pain shooting through her, causing her to pant out in delirium. He sucked on the sweet spot of her neck, the pain waking her up completely. She arched into him, wrapping her legs around him tightly, fingers gripping the longer strands of his hair as his name slipped off the tip of her tongue wickedly. 

Jean devoured her skin like she was the air in his lungs, inhaling the sweet scent of chamomile flowers that layered against her flesh. After a long moment of her neck feeling overwhelmed by the sensations of Jean’s tongue, lips and teeth; Eden pulled his head back towards her face, kissing him soundly. 

She slowed the kiss down; urging him to settle close to her; tending to the nerves emitting out of him. He rested his weight against his right forearm, whilst the other one continued exploring her body; her delicate mewls stimulating him. 

But, that was all the night had stored for the both of them. The taste of each other’s lips lingered several hours later as they slept in her bed; Jean’s arm wrapped around her waist possessively. 

* * *

“Shit. No no no...-” Eden huffed under her breath as she stared at the pale skin on her throat and the highly visible love bite that was painted. She continued swearing under her breath as she tried pulling the collar of her shirt upwards, only to fail miserably at concealing it. 

She decided her only option would be to put her hair partially up and leave a couple of strands to curtain the sign of intimacy shared between herself and Jean the night before. Glaring with displeasure at her disheveled appearance through the mirror; Eden turned to Jean who stood smirking at her from the edge of the bed. 

“I should beat you for this,” she muttered under her breath, kicking his shin with her boot. He chuckled lightly, standing up abruptly, fingers tilting her face to the side as he stared down at the love bite. 

“Oh no, I’m _so_ scared. How am I going to sleep soundly at night knowing Eden Chiasa is out to kill me?” 

Eden scoffed, shrugging her uniform jacket on, straightening the fabric with her fingers. “You better be scared. Let’s go, Jeanie-boy, otherwise I’m going to write a letter to your mother and tell her you’ve skipped breakfast today.” 

It was her turn to laugh as he blew a sigh out in irritation, knowing very well that Eden would really do such a thing just for the fun of it. 

* * *

“I like your hair down like this, Eden,” Mikasa complimented her sweetly when they made their way to the training ground. Eden’s cheeks flushed and she began stuttering. 

“Yeah, thanks, it’s kinda cold outside today...you know what they say...protect your neck if you don’t want to...catch a cold...-” she finished off with an embarrassed chuckle, swearing at herself in her head. 

_What the fuck Eden??_

They spent the remainder of their morning training and running laps; until Hange stalked over to the group, loudly beckoning Eren; who in turn was followed by her fellow raven-headed friend. 

Her heart dropped down to her guts at the sight of the approaching, gloomy-looking Captain. He went over to every single individual, fixing their postures, commanding Sasha to stop talking and making Jean do more laps just for the sake of it. 

Finally, he reached Eden. 

He was about to speak when his hard glare fell onto her neck. His lips pursed and she awkwardly shifted her stance from one foot to the other. Levi craned his neck to the side, the muscles in his jawline clenching hard. 

“Alright, brat, let’s see how much you’ve progressed since the last time we sparred.” 

“But Captain, you’re hurt,” Eden began nervously, only to close her mouth swiftly when he nonchalantly brushed her words aside. 

“I think I’m fine without your medical expertise, you idiot.”

He didn’t allow her with a moment to collect her thoughts as he lunged at her. forearm squeezing her neck, blocking her airway. Eden used the fact that she was pressed against a tree- once more- to her advantage as she snapped her head to the side in the last moment, Levi’s knuckles colliding with the wooden surface. 

Levi gritted his teeth and Eden struggled to dodge all of the hits he sent her way. He was lethal and had incredibly quick reflexes. It irritated the girl, causing her to fight back harder; trying her very best to mimic his movements. 

After several heated moments of Eden getting absolutely destroyed by the Captain; she caught him off-guard and aimed a punch for his nose. His head snapped back and she could see a thin trail of blood trickle down into his mouth. He looked back at her in such a cruel, unfazed manner; craning his neck to the side; spitting the crimson liquid. He glared at her from his peripheral vision and she stared back at him, chest heaving, knuckles shaking. 

Levi’s head bobbed in affirmation ever so slightly; surprising Eden completely as the feeling of praise washed through her. 

But that feeling was quickly replaced with outrage when he kicked her legs from under her, causing her to topple to the ground. Within a matter of milliseconds, Levi was on top of her, ice-cold fingers squeezing at her throat. She watched him with wide eyes, ignoring the way small blood droplets fell against her skin. It was a complete parallel to the moment they had shared in his office less than twenty four hours ago; when the atmosphere was serene, heartwarming and perfect- to Eden. 

Instead, the air hitched in her throat as his thumb pressed against the purple blemish against her neck; imprinting his grip over it. 

Eden curved her body upwards towards his, gasping for air as her fingers urgently shot out to snake around his hand. She stared into his hooded, wild eyes through darkened blotches; trying her best to loosen his grip. 

Levi abruptly let go of her and she choked on the overwhelming amount of air seeping into her lungs. Her eyes burned with tears as she clutched the tender skin on her neck before pulling herself out from under Levi. 

Eden began walking away from him; only to turn her head back to catch his sorrowful stare over her shoulder. 

She halted, lips parting as her bottom lip trembled. Levi watched her carefully.

In the last moment, Eden let out a short, humorless laugh before walking off; feeling utterly helpless as the tears began bleeding down her face. 

* * *

Eden skipped dinner and sulked around in her bedroom. If she had hated looking at the love bite on her skin before; now she despised herself. Spending long moments in front of the mirror; staring in awe at the bruised handprint sketched across her neck. She could tell how much more pressure Levi had placed in his thumb as it brushed over the love bite meticulously concealed by the newly placed discoloration.

Not long after nine in the evening; a gentle knock echoed through her room. Eden heaved herself out of the bed and swiftly opened the door with a deep, darkened frown etched into her features. 

“Hey, we missed you for dinner?” Jean inquired, handing her a piece of bread. The fatigue-ridden girl gently pushed his hand away, smiling weakly at him.

“No thanks, I’m not hungry. I’ve decided to have an early night; with everything going on tomorrow...-” 

“What’s wrong with your neck?” Jean frowned darkly as he stepped closer to her, shoving her charcoal waves of hair behind her hair. 

Eden froze as his warm touch and her brain immediately bombarded her with fleeting images of the Captain atop of her; his unfaltering grip compressing her throat until she felt like she was at the brink of passing out. 

Flinching, Eden awkwardly shuffled away from Jean, wrapping her arms across her chest tightly. 

“It’s nothing. Just an accident that took place today during training. I’ll live.” 

“Did _he_ do that to you?” Jean seethed, glaring down at the unwavering girl.

“If you mean by _he_ , our Captain, then yes, Jean. We always spar. Today, I managed to catch him in the face and I guess he didn’t like that.” 

Jean shook his head slightly, staring at the darkened bruise cloaking over his love bite. His brown eyes narrowed. 

“No, that’s not it,” he muttered under his breath, more as a tale to himself rather to the girl before him. Then, he snapped his glare back to her face and knitted his brows in frustration.

“How the hell could you be so stupid?” 

Eden stared at him in dismay, her mouth open as she searched for words in response. “Huh? What are you talking about, Jean? How am I being stupid?” 

Her questions seemed to fall on deaf ears as Jean watched her, drowning in distress. His eyes fell once more to her tattered skin before he walked off; leaving a stunned Eden leaning against her bedroom door; the chills of the hallway air lacing over her skin. 

With wide eyes, she watched him retreat; the anger practically dripping from him.

Her fingertips brushed against her neck once more, sending haze of heat through her heart.


	16. Derangement

Slamming her bedroom door shut, Eden huffed under her breath at the resounding bang that snapped behind her. She walked through the headquarters in irritation; making sure to steer clear from anyone she couldn’t deal with so early in the morning. 

The ever so energetic Sasha had woken her up; letting her know they were to get ready and go on another expedition beyond the walls. Apparently, there were more unusual Abnormal titan sightings alongside the exterior part of Wall Rose. 

Commander Erwin had instructed for Captain Levi and Hange’s squads to head to the area and assure that this wasn’t a ploy created by the traitors who’s identities still lay unbeknownst to them. Regardless, the Commander had sent Levi a detailed letter, assuring him that this expedition would suffice to humanity in more than one way and lead them a step closer to victory. 

Erwin’s letters would always state that fact; regardless of the amount of death and trauma his Regiment had seen. 

Eden quickly ate breakfast in the kitchen; unbothered and groggy. Her head pounded, reminding her how little sleep she had gotten the night before since she spent it twisting around in her covers- thinking about everything that weighed on her heart. 

* * *

Her boots crunched soundly against the pebbles spattered across the ground as she made her way to the stables not long after escaping the kitchen, unseen. Her fingers fiddled with the clasp of her green, Scout cloak as she secured it to her body. The charcoal-haired girl ignored the accompanying steps that cracked through the gravel behind her. 

After taking two long steps into the stable, her back crashed against the wall, heated lips pressing against hers gently. 

She returned the favor, her fingers interlinking with his before squeezing his palm lightly. His kisses would always be so gentle. Yet, every once in a while, he would slip up; growing more urgent. It was always something that intrigued Eden.

Jean let go of a low sigh that recoiled through her. “Do you accept my apology?” 

Eden chuckled lowly, standing on her tiptoes as she reached to grab him by the collar. His hands settled against her slender waist, pulling her flush against him.

“You haven’t even apologized yet.” 

Rolling his eyes, Jean pressed his forehead against hers, kissing the tip of her nose sweetly. His mouth then met hers tenderly, his tongue gliding against her bottom lip lazily. Eden’s teeth captured his tongue before sucking onto it teasingly. Her arms looped around his neck, a humored smirk lacing itself against Eden’s fatigued features. 

“I’m sorry about last night, Eden. I shouldn’t have gotten pissed at you for something that wasn’t your fault.” 

“Yeah, but I just don’t get why you didn’t come up to me and let me know what the issue was so we could resolve it. I still don’t know what happened...-” 

Jean hesitated, his fingertips stroking the side of her face before he kissed her temple softly. “Can’t you just let me apologize to you, woman?” She laughed under her breath, tipping her chin upwards before he kissed her swiftly. 

Her nose flared at the scent of spices and cologne in a way that made Eden feel incredibly comfortable and safe. She knew that whatever happened, Jean would always be by her side; supportive as ever and willing to go through thick and thin for her. 

Just as she would for him. 

“Kirstein, you’re not wearing your ODM gear. I suggest you get a move on because I don’t plan on prolonging this expedition just because you need help strapping your harness to your ass,” an irked voice barked from the entrance of the stables. 

Both Eden and Jean’s heads snapped to the entry-way and the girl pursed her lips as she lowered her head. Jean’s jaw clenched painfully tightly before his brown eyes flickered towards Eden’s downturned face. He let go of her hesitantly and by the way he walked past the Captain, Eden could safely assume he was infuriated. 

She fixed her saddle and tightened the reins on her horse before quietly making her way out of the stable. Although her eyes were promptly fixated on the ground, Eden could sense Levi’s presence still lingering around her. 

The air was hot and she felt irritated at herself when she began struggling to breath the closer she got to him. 

Suddenly, Levi grabbed her by the wrist, shaking her slightly as he furiously stared into her eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you, brat? We’re about to go on an expedition where someone could potentially lose their life and _this_ is what your mind is focusing on?” He scoffed under his breath, crossing his arms against his chest.

Eden’s amber eyes widened slightly, heart stammering in her chest. “I-I’m sorry, what? What do you mean?” She balled her trembling, white knuckles into fists, hiding her hands behind her back; the reins leaving prints on the inside of her palm. 

“Don’t act stupid with me, you know what I’m talking about. And then you dare question why I decided to leave out of the previous mission,” Levi snapped at her sharply, iron eyes burning at the utterly perplexed girl. She moved her chin to the side, as though really taking the time to process his words. 

None of the answers her mind provided her with explained what he was referring to. Her relationships with other people- specifically Jean- had absolutely nothing to do with the Captain. Yet, standing before him in awe; no words landed on her tongue. 

Levi stiffened before shaking his head slightly. He lowered his head as though he were trying to recollect his thoughts. Combed, velvety raven hair toppled in front of his face and through the strands; Eden could see a sense of agitation carved onto his strained features. 

He suddenly looked up at her, lips parting slightly and pupils dilating as his hand reached for her neck. Eden stood cemented in her place, the air hitching in her throat as his fingertips grazed the bruises he had inflicted upon her. Her eyes widened comically, eyebrows arching as she searched his blank face for an explanation.

But, he never met her stare. 

His fingers gently prodded against the most vibrant bruise and Eden couldn’t rid herself of the fluttering notions within her gut. It made her knees weak and her stomach flipped. Her palms grew sweaty and her mouth went dry. Those feelings grew even more vivid once she caught sight of his stoic face relaxing ever so slightly.

His cold touch brought back memories of yet another heated interaction between them. Yesterday’s training had been impeccably intense; but as much as Eden felt incredibly hurt by Levi contusing her so horribly; she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at the fact that she had managed to catch him off guard and swing at him. She knew her powers would never level his; yet she basked in the tiny victory their encounter had bestowed her with.

A cruelly ice-cold shiver ran its coarse along her back and she swatted his hand away, causing her heart to squeeze uncomfortably. Levi finally met her stare, but did not say anything.

Eden bit her lip, bouncing on her heels in trepidation as she tried to formulate a singular, coherent response. “W-why do _you_ care what I do in my free time?” 

Immediately, Levi’s brows furrowed. He looked very deep in thought as a scowl etched itself across his perfectly sculpted features. Looking away, that scowl transformed into an expression of distaste as a soft scoff slipped through his downturned lips. 

“I don’t fucking _know_ ,” he growled at her, jaw clenching imperceptibly tighter that what it was before. 

Eden watched as he walked away from her without even giving her the chance to respond.

* * *

Eden and Armin got assigned to Hange’s squad formation since her team was incomplete. It was like a slap in the face for the girl as certainty crept into her when she imagined how relieved Levi must have felt knowing he can place her under someone else’s direct command and keep her away from him.

Sending her blond friend a wide smile, her own eyes remained blank as she reminisced the recent turn of events. She couldn’t quite put her finger around why his answer bothered her. 

_Was it because it had left her yearning for more answers or because she just felt like he had pushed her into a bleak vortex of confusion?_

Regardless, the expedition had begun and Eden knew better than to dwell on her feelings when so much was at stake. 

They headed in the abnormals’ direction and Eden began growing more nervous as the minutes ticked by. She felt confident in her fighting; but it was incredibly difficult for her to split herself from all her overwhelming thoughts. She was an incredibly emotional individual- meaning she struggled immensely when it came to separating herself from a situation that had struck her heart. And it felt worse knowing that out on the open fields where a titan could strike at any moment. Her anxiety surpassed the roof. 

Captain Levi had decided that since they were to oversee an affected, exterior part of Wall Rose; it was best for them to ride on the outside side; rather than travel from the inside and then climb up the wall with their ODM gear. That way, if there were any more phenomenal situations; they could deal with it there and then. 

Apart from the hooves scraping against the grass, it was quiet on titan territory. Hange twirled her flare-gun from the center of their diamond formation, as though she was bored with the circumstances. Eden pursed her lips and urged her horse to gallop faster. 

Thunderous footsteps clashed closer to them; catching everyone’s attention. Hange snapped her head in that direction, eyes widening hungrily as she shot out a black flare through the clear, blue sky. Eden could only assume that Levi and his team would continue towards the sighting, as it seemed purely pointless for them to retreat and jump into a fight. 

“Everyone get ready! Multiple abnormals ranking between 12 and 16 meters incoming from your left.” Hange yelled over the horses’ hooves, a wild spark glinting in her eyes. 

Eden watched as they mindlessly sprinted towards their squad; their movements bizarre and irritating to look at. She huffed under her breath and readied her swords. 

Once the humanoid creatures were in their perimeter; Hange gave the members on the outer positions in the formation the green light and Eden steadied herself on the saddle of her horse. She didn’t really have a plan in mind; so she just winged it. Which was perhaps not the best idea when she was knocking on Death’s door; but now was not the time to go over details. 

Squeezing the handles of her gear, the familiar sound of the iron wire slicing through the air echoed around her. She pushed herself off her horse; allowing the wire to guide her through the air before hooking herself against the wall. 

Counting the seconds under her breath, her hazel eyes never left the approaching titans’ disgusting faces. The scent of rotting flesh and bones hit her on the tenth second. Scrunching her nose, she began to count down. 

Hitting the third second, she pushed herself off the wall, pulling out her blades as her hooks clenched around the skin on the closest titan’s collarbone. The wire recoiled and pulled her towards it with such sheer speed, everything around her grew blurry. With a grunt, both blades sliced through its hardened skin effortlessly, the steam nearly blinding her. 

The titan toppled to the ground and in the last moment, Eden craned her neck back to appreciate the long cut that perfectly severed the titan from the inward part of its shoulder; all the way to the other side. A shriek pierced through the air. 

She let out a soft gasp as she watched one of her fellow comrades from Hange’s team become crushed to pulp inside a titan’s massive mouth. Eden watched in horror as another girl let out a bloodcurdling screech, reaching for the deceased man. Another titan swooped in and caught her mid-air; pulling her limbs apart as though she was just a rubber toy.

Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to focus on her path; choosing to disregard the way her blades trembled as she landed on another titan. She slashed its nape, blood spurting in her face, burning her skin. She spat the liquid that had fallen into her mouth in disgust and angled her hooks to grip the wall. 

Eden watched as Hange and Armin and a few others continued onwards towards the first team and her eyes grew wide at the sight of more titans emerging out of nowhere. Growing cautious, Eden decided it was best to preserve her gas reservoir as much as possible. 

The amount of approaching titans made her feel like using a limited amount of gas was the only choice that could possibly gain her another day. She reached the top of the wall and began sprinting forward, eyes calculating how far she would need to run in order to intercept her horse and jump down on its back. 

Her comrades looked so small as she looked over the edge of the wall. The sight made her dizzy. When she decided the time was right, Eden flung herself over the edge, using her ODM gear only when she wanted to slow herself down; a breath before she managed to slump onto her saddle. But, her horse whinnied at the earth-shattering footsteps of the nearby titans, throwing her off and sprinting away. 

Eden vaguely heard Armin screaming her name as she wheezed out, her lungs burning with adrenaline. She looked up to see a large palm reaching for her, wide, dead eyes peaking over her as it stared hungrily down at Eden. She backed up, fumbling to stand and pull her blades out. 

Another high-pitched yell reverberated through the open air. The approaching fingers toppled to the ground as the beast let out a deafening roar. Armin ran towards her, putting his bloodied swords away before grabbing her by the shoulders. 

“Are you okay, Eden?” He asked her as she pulled herself to her feet. 

“I’m fine, Armin, thank you for that,” she replied, goosebumps appearing against her skin at the sound of echoing cries and pleas for mercy emerged from their fallen comrades. “We need to go, it’s not safe out here. We should head to the rest of the team and figure out what the hell we’ll do when there isn’t a hungry-looking titan looming over us,” she yelled, pulling his sleeve as they ran towards the horses. 

Everything slowed down for her once a yellow flare shot through the air in the distance. 

Levi’s team. 

Eden’s heart faltered as her mind fluttered elsewhere, subconsciously slowing her running down. Armin turned around, face contorting in a horrified manner as he reached for Eden’s hand. There was a static sound that muffled all the noise in Eden’s ears; her lips parting as she felt thick fingers snake around her body. She watched Armin run back to her and she screeched for him to turn around and go. 

Tears streaked the ocean-eyed boys’ face as she was hoisted off the ground effortlessly, her fingers slipping away from his the higher she went. Eden thrashed and flailed before letting out a pained cry when the titan’s grip grew more solid. She felt as though someone had poured cement over her body; the pressure close to crushing her bones to dust. 

Blood spurted out of her mouth as her lungs begged for mercy and her limbs grew weaker. In that moment, she felt like there was nothing else she could do. She felt so utterly helpless and what pained her the most was the fact that she would probably never be able to say goodbye to her friends, to Jean. 

To Levi. 

Her life really did flash before her eyes as her eyesight grew foggy, the pressure of keeping her body awake became harder and harder as the seconds ticked by. She saw Armin, Eren and Mikasa’s baby faces; back when they used to play tag in Shiganshina. She watched Connie and Sasha daring her to balance a loaf of bread on her head after training. Jean’s face appeared with the silly, cocky smirk that made her swoon and slap his shoulder. 

Then, his face contorted into Levi. His cold, indifferent stare sent chills down her spine. 

How could someone so emotionless bring up so much commotion within her? 

But, she knew she didn’t have enough time to question it. Eden just focused on every single details of his face she had memorized as the pain seeped through her body, pulling her into a vortex of darkness and serenity. 


	17. Benumbed Perception

_“We’ll get through this,” Eren had said, pulling his friends into a tight, group hug. Eden nodded, the muffled voices around her slowly slowly becoming sharper and clearer._

_Where was she?_

_“You, Mikasa, Eden and I. We’ll join the Scout Regiment and fight for the sea. We’ll fight for the taste of freedom. And then when that day comes, we’ll sit together and reminisce about all the tough times we’ve gone through just to get to that moment,” Armin replied softly as they pulled away._

_Each child had a flame in their eyes. Two pairs of crystal blue eyes, a duo of onyx jewels as well as another pair of honey-colored eyes that glinted with a shade of emerald. After the horrors they had witnessed that day in Shiganshina; the deaths that had cracked through each crevice of their bones; they had vowed to fight until death grabbed their hand._

_Eden felt drowsy as the world around her slowed down and the faces of her friends grew blurry. She looked around to see the atmosphere change, those distant voices that rang at the back of her mind growing more realistic._

“Hey, Eden, I brought you an apple. Well, honestly, Connie made me give it up. I actually really wanted to eat that apple...-” 

_Slap_

“Ouch, sorry. Scratch that, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just joking, hehe,” Sasha rambled on, rubbing her arm as she rolled her eyes at Connie’s irked stare. 

Velveteen lashes fluttered opened gradually; the immediate light burning her pupils. Eden hissed, shutting her eyes once more as she came to her senses at a dreadfully slow pace. She caught sight of the familiar layout vividly resembling the medical quarters situated at their base. 

Two light gasps bounced through the air. Her bed shifted under moving weight and once she took a deep breath; Eden managed to open one eye. 

Sasha and Connie stared at her through comically wide eyes. The girl blinked slowly at them, raising a weak hand to touch her pounding temple. 

“What...happened?” 

The duo exchanged glances and Sasha swallowed thickly. Connie bounced on his heels before clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

“You got severely injured on the battlefield. Safe to say, you were _this_ close to being squeezed to death,” Connie pinched his fingers together, indicating the lack of space between his index and his thumb finger. “You’ve been out cold for the past couple of days, on IV’s and stuff, I don’t know.” 

Eden tried sitting up, but the weight of her tattered body pleaded her to remain still. “What do you mean I’ve been ‘out cold for the past couple of days’? What about Armin? He was with me, is he okay? And the rest, where are they?” The words trickled out through her lips like a mellow waterfall. 

Sasha sent her a wary smile, placing her hand over hers against the warm blanket. “Everyone from our team is healthy and safe. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about Hange’s squad. She lost a couple of her comrades during the battle.” She lowered her eyes as she spoke, bottom lip quivering. 

Eden let go of a slow sigh, the movement causing her lungs to burn up and swell against her heart. She palmed the fabric of her blanket in between her fingers. “Shit. Was the mission a failure then? Did we manage to secure the sighting hotspot?” 

Both of her comrade-friends shook their heads glumly. Connie spoke up.

“We came back to help Hange’s team after seeing that separation would only make things worse. Captain Levi shot the final flare at the sight of literally a dozen titans heading our way. We just didn’t have enough manpower to push through all of them; especially since your team was already completely ambushed. No one expected it to be that bad...” 

Eden stayed silent as she tried to process his words. Her brain racked against her skull as she thought about all the pain and suffering her fallen comrades had experienced right before their lives were ripped out of their bodies by the vile, humanoid creatures. It made her blood boil and her lip quiver. 

“How did you manage to pull me out of the titan’s grasp? I can’t remember much except how peaceful I began feeling when I finally closed my eyes...I thought I was dead...”

“We’re so happy you’re not, Eden. What happened was...-”

“Excuse me, leave the poor girl to rest,” the familiar voice of the assigned nurse made her two friends jump out of their skin. She ushered them both out in an irritated voice before walking back to Eden. 

“Can you please tell me what’s wrong with me? When can I join my team back on the field...-”

“Not anytime soon, dear. You should be grateful you’re not currently six-feet under. Your lungs collapsed due to the pressure, so you’ll be sticking to bedrest for the time being until it gets better. Don’t look at me like that, I told you, it could’ve been worse. There was some internal bleeding that we stopped once you arrived, what else...ah yes, you’re lucky...this time, you managed to fracture just two ribs!” The nurse told her, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she spoke. 

Eden refrained from the need to roll her eyes at her and involuntarily winced instead at the sudden pains in her chest. The medic assured her that this would happen often until her internal organs heal with the help of medication, rest and the will to live. 

* * *

All her friends visited her that day. Krista came by and left a few chamomile leaves by her nightstand; wishing her a quick recovery. Eren, Mikasa and Armin popped by in the late afternoon. The raven-haired girl- being the second maternal figure after Eden in their group- brought her some soup and helped her eat in bed as Armin and Eren casually rambled on about random things that didn’t concern the injured girl the slightest bit. 

Deep down, through all the trauma her body underwent that day; Eden’s mind was fixed on one tiny thought that seemed to devour her entire soul; would Captain Levi come and visit her? 

The day’s hours quickly trickled by as Eden spent it dealing with constant visits, naps and by sulking and glaring at the ceiling. She begged the nurse to give her something to numb the pain; but the older woman had assured her that she will do so after dinner.

Eden didn’t even have enough energy to snap back at her. 

The sun began settling, bringing in a warm, orange shade into the infirmary. The rays grazed against Eden’s blanket, caressing her skin softly as her body began to ache. Mikasa had just left, bidding her a good night after helping Eden bathe.

The injured girl felt like such a nuisance and begged her friend multiple times to leave, stating she could manage on her own. But Mikasa being Mikasa; never left her side. Her nurse finally injected her with a large dose of painkillers, assuring her that they would stop the pain for at least a couple of long hours. She had also told her that they would make her feel sleepy and droopy. Eden merely nodded and thanked her for the medication.

Now, tightly wrapped up in her warm duvet, the charcoal-haired girl counted the each clock tick; completely bored out of her mind. She didn’t feel like the medicine had kicked in yet; but the nurse had reassured her that it could take some time for them to kick in and knock her out. Her eye twitched at the sound of the door gently opening. 

A tender smile crept up on her face as he made his way towards her bed. 

“Hi, Jeanie-boy,” she greeted him softly, tilting her head towards him against the pillow. 

His expression was strained and that remained intact when he sent her a smile, pulling her hand into his. “Hi, darling. How are you feeling?” 

“I’ve been better, but I’ll manage. Can’t get rid of me that quickly now, can you?” 

He let go of a gentle huff, his thumb rubbing circles against her soft skin. Eden bit her lip, brows lacing together slightly. He remained silent, staring down at their interlinked fingers.

“Something is wrong. Talk to me,” she urged him gently, squeezing his hand with her palm. 

Jean pursed his lips tightly; clenching his jaw tightly as contemplation painted against his tense face. “Do you remember what happened...that day?” 

Eden’s own expression grew more rigid as she tried her best to call back any memories she had. She released an exasperated sigh, sinking deeper into the pillow. 

“I’m sorry Jean. I really can’t remember much. My horse threw me off the saddle; Armin came back for me...we ran towards the horses and then a titan just grabbed me. That’s all I recall.”

Jean bit his lip before running a hand across his face; shifting against her mattress. She watched him silently, afraid that if she pushed him; he’d snap at her. And she wanted Jean to open up on his own terms. 

“I feel like I can’t really do this anymore, Eden.” 

Her almond eyes grew larger, lips parting in wonder. “Can’t do what, Jean? What’s going on?” 

The boy only shook his head in response, eyes betraying how deep in thought he was. Eden’s heart clenched uneasily. 

“I can’t just share you. It’s not right and I don’t feel good knowing I can’t have you all to myself.” 

His confession hung in the air heavily. Jean watched her carefully as she tried understanding his words. But, to no avail. 

“I-I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” 

Jean pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, “You’ll understand what I’m telling you on your own terms. I’m sorry it has to go down this way. You mean so much to me, Chiasa. And I can fully understand the situation you’re in right now. The confusion and all. I’ve been in that position. Which is why I’m trying to help you make things easier- even if nothing makes sense to you right now.”

Eden placed her other hand over his, grazing the skin on the back of his palm reassuringly. She listened intently to each word; feeling her heart crack just a little bit.

“I don’t want to lose you, Jean.”

The boy made a face, leaning in closer towards the resting girl. “Psh, who said anything about losing anyone? There’s no way in hell you’ll lose me, Eden; you can trust me on that. Otherwise, you can write a letter to my mother and tell her how embarrassed I was when she sent me that stuffed plush bear and you were the one that caught me with it.” 

The memory made Eden laugh, her eyes crinkling at the edges as Jean’s own brown eyes twinkled down at her. 

“That’s a deal.” 

Jean leaned in closer, pressing his warm, plush lips against Eden’s forehead. She closed her eyes, taking in his scent that seemingly overwhelmed her entirely. Everything with him was so cozy, definite and practically perfect. It was such a stark juxtaposition to the feelings the man with steely, blank eyes sparked within her. 

“But, just because I’ve decided to let you go now, does not mean I will not keep trying,” he muttered when pulling away. Eden sent him a toothy grin that was masked with a layer of grimness once her question slammed against her brain.

“Can you tell me what happened after I blacked out?” 

Jean’s eyes darkened as he looked down at their hands. He gritted his teeth, craning his neck to the side before meeting her curious gaze. 

“I...I was the one who saved you.” He hesitated for a moment, but continued nevertheless. “When all went to shit and the Captain shot the terminated mission flare; I made my way back to you. I don’t know what it was, but I just knew that something was wrong. I found Armin charging at the bastard that had grabbed you, aiming for its wrist tendon but...I managed to slice its nape seconds before you were going to land in its mouth. It was a miracle, really. If I was even a millisecond late; you would have...died.” 

Eden felt like the air was knocked out of her bruised lungs. She looked away, realization creeping down her spine as she thought back to how close she was to death. Only to be saved and gifted with another chance at life. She suppressed a yawn, her lids growing heavier.

Jean released an empty, humorless laugh; shaking his head at the memories that flashed before his eyes. “And then, when I got to you...you said _his_ name.” He stood abruptly, gently laying Eden’s hand back against the softness of the duvet as she watched him sleepily; her mind overpowered by the drug previously injected into her bloodstream to tend to the pains. 

She was drowning in so many questions, but felt like she didn’t have enough time to answer them for herself. She called for Jean gently; earning a sweet, supple smile from the boy as he gazed down at her. His head snapped towards the entrance and immediately, his expression contorted into one filled with deep-rooted vexation. 

“Out of everyone within the walls; why him?” Jean muttered under his breath- a question devoted more to himself rather than the dazed girl on the brink of slumber. He bid her a good night and went his separate way.

Eden groaned in response, her lids completely slipping shut by the time the sound of approaching boots had reached her ears. 


	18. Unquestionable Affairs

And with another groan, Eden slowly awakened from her short nap. Her head was spinning and the room was dimmer- the only source of light being the oil lamp on her bedside table. 

She felt extremely nauseous as she came back to her senses; colors flickering before her amber eyes in a fleeting way. Then, she stiffened. 

At the foot of her bed, she saw Captain Levi sitting wordlessly; with his head lowered; one hand on the duvet and another resting on his knee. At the sudden stirring movements, his head snapped to the side, grey eyes meeting hazel ones. 

Eden held her breath; blinking a few times slowly. She couldn’t tell whether her mind was playing twisted games from the effects of the drug or if Levi was actually calmly sitting on her bed, watching her curiously. Her hand reached for his and she immediately came to realization when her fingertips made contact with his cold skin. 

He really was there. 

Levi, in turn, flickered his stare to the resting palm atop of his before pulling his hand away. He then gently rested it over hers, fingertips brushing over her knuckles. Eden’s heart squeezed warmly at the closeness- dozens of butterflies gathering in her stomach as she rested her head back against the pillow with a sigh; trying her best to ignore how dazed the aftereffects of the medication inflicted upon her. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked in a cool, restrained voice as he eyed her down, taking a note of her awfully pale face and colorless lips. 

“Not gonna lie, this medication is making me loopy, but other than that, I can’t help but feel absolutely useless,” Eden replied in an even tone, shifting her heated stare away from his face and onto the ceiling. 

She heard Levi hum in agreement under his breath. “You’ll manage. You would’ve felt even shittier if you broke a bone or lost a limb.”

The girl let go of a breathy laugh, a peachy blush creeping against her pallid cheeks. “Always a positive one, aren’t you, Captain?” 

He huffed softly, his searching gaze exploring every single inch of her face. “Something like that.” 

Perhaps it was the treatment oozing through her veins or it was the comfortable atmosphere lingering around them that made Eden’s dainty fingers curl around his hand with slight pressure. He returned the gesture timidly; lips pursing together as his brows bunched up against his usually strained face. He watched her through jeweled-grey eyes as her face relaxed; hazel eyes fluttering shut. 

“I’ll leave you to heal in peace,” Levi muttered softly, gently pulling his hand out of her feeble grasp. He shifted off her bed, freezing when he felt her grip the cuff of his shirt.

“No no, you don’t have to go...you can stay,” Eden mumbled out delicately; but by the time she could process his responsive actions; her world had darkened once more. 

* * *

The sound of turning pages washed through her the next time she woke up. Albeit feeling much better, Eden could still feel remnants of the sedative rushing through her blood. She swallowed thickly and opened her eyes. 

To her extreme surprise, Levi was casually sitting in the same spot as he was before; but this time, he had a book in his hands. He looked so peaceful, until he felt Eden’s hooded eyes glued to his frame. Snapping the book shut sharply, he placed it on the duvet before settling his narrowed eyes on her perplexed expression; the muscles in his jaw visibly rigid. 

“Hi,” she spoke up meekly, trying her best to sit up, but failing miserably. She mentally kicked herself and settled into the pillow. Her lungs burned in discomfort and her muscles ached. It was like all the pain was slowly ebbing away at her sanity; leaving her drowning in a vortex of self-hatred and hopelessness. 

Levi didn’t respond to her at first. She watched as his contorted mask cracked for a split millisecond; agitation imprinting itself on his incredibly pretty features. 

“You missed your boyfriend’s visit by ten minutes.” 

Her eyes grew wide; breath cementing itself in her throat. She blinked at him hastily. 

“We broke up.” 

The three words hung in the air as the aura tensed. The flame in the oil lamp flickered, visibly disturbed as Levi’s brows raised ever so slightly.

“I see.” 

Eden’s lips laced into a thin line as she grazed her fingertips against the duvet. A sharp jolt of pain collided with her ribcage and she winced, dropping her head, tousled waves of charcoal hair veiling over her face. 

“I’m afraid, Captain. I’ve never felt such pain in my whole life. It really made me realize how frail our lives are. How everything can go to hell in the blink of an eye. I guess I had to go through this to really comprehend the magnitude of what it is we’re actually doing.” 

Levi let out an irked “tch” as he ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn’t look at her when the weight of his words slapped her hard across the face. 

“Maybe if you stopped being so reckless; you wouldn’t have to feel like your life is so fragile.”

Eden glared at him, teeth grinding together behind closed lips. His hardened exterior grew present once more. It completely flustered her how she felt like she had spoken to two completely different individuals when comparing her current conversation with the one they had prior to her passing out. Her knuckles grew white as she gripped the covers. 

“How am I being reckless? It’s _my_ duty to give my all when we’re out there. This is what I consciously signed up for when I joined the military. But now, when I’ve actually felt what it feels like to nearly lose my life; it just really puts things into perspective. I thought you’d be the one who’d understand where I’m coming from.” 

“But there’s a difference between fighting for humanity’s greater good with some common sense in your head and just recklessly throwing yourself in dangerous situations,” Levi retaliated coldly, his eyes deteriorating the barrier Eden attempted to build in order to conceal her pained expression.

He hastily turned away from her, knitting his fingers together as he rested his forearms against his thighs. “If you continue being so careless, we will lose you...” 

A heavy silence drowned them both as Eden processed his words carefully, her palms sweating; heart galloping in her chest. Levi craned his head back to meet her eyes, and Eden finally saw a gleam in his eyes that she had never known of. It made her feel faint, her body reacting to that scorched stare in ways she could have never even imagined. 

Her lips curled upwards- a sly, cat-like smirk painting over her features. Levi watched her in such a meticulous manner; it made her feel like he could see right through her. 

Suddenly, Eden tried rising up- the words gliding off her tongue in a slow, lazy manner. “You’re gonna miss me if I die, aren’t you?” 

Levi shot up towards Eden, hands gently pressing against her shoulder blades as he urged her not to sit up. He huffed under his breath in annoyance; smoothly lowering her back onto the pillow as he spoke. “What kind of question is that, brat?” 

He was so close, Eden could practically taste his faint cologne.

Levi’s eyes grew hooded as he watched her closely, the density in the air practically cutting off Eden’s ability to breathe. His cold fingertips were still pressed against the skin above the pajama fabric of her shirt. She swallowed thickly, velour lashes lowering at the sight of how close his face was to hers. The silence was deafening as neither of them had anything to physically say to each other at that point.

The Captain’s own face visibly relaxed, metal eyes growing softer as his fingers brushed against the curve of her jaw; coiling around the back of her neck. A shiver ran its coarse along the line of her spine at the sensation of her hair between his fingers. 

Inclining his head ever so slightly, his chilled lips pressed against hers. 

At first, it was gentle and timid. But then, he applied force against her neck; pressing her full lips harder against his. Eden felt frozen, her heart threatening to explode and break all her ribs. Her fingertips reached to touch his and he immediately grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers. 

If Eden could freeze time and live in one single moment for the rest of eternity; it would always be this one. 

Levi was the one who pulled away first; his breathing ragged and short. Eden felt like she had no air to take in anymore. The exhilarating feeling of Levi’s lips against hers had solidified every question, every fleeting thought she had experienced up to that moment. She craved more. 

He brushed his nose against hers before leaning backwards slightly; his fingers still entangled with hers. Eden tried her best to calm her intoxicated heart; but to no avail. 

Gentle circles were rubbed into the back of her hand with his thumb, but Eden’s dilated stare could merely focus on Levi’s growingly tense expression. He released her trembling hand, his heart clenching uncomfortably at the saddened expression that flashed across her features. He reached out to push a strand of her hair behind her ear, his retracting fingertips grazing along the curve of her jaw once more.

“You should rest, Eden. I mustn’t keep you up all night,” Levi said to her under his breath, the flame in his eyes vibrant and alive as he explored her face. With knitted brows, he abruptly rose from the bed; craning his neck to look at her over his shoulder when Eden managed to call him by his given title in a voice filled with all kinds of emotions. 

“Will you come visit me again tomorrow?” Eden inquired, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously as she waited for his answer through the long, quiet pause. 

“Not if I can help myself,” Levi replied glumly, holding her gaze for a moment longer before walking out of the medical quarters; leaving a dazed Eden with heated cheeks fervently gaze at his retreating figure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day! ;)


	19. Ethereal Emotions

He didn’t visit her again. 

A constant vortex of hurt spiraled within Eden. Her mind never left her at peace. Nausea became such a great part of her; the poor girl had forgotten what it felt like to be healthy. 

She constantly stayed up, wondering where she had gone wrong; what she had done to offend him and whether their shared, heated moment was just a miscalculation caused by the depths of trauma inflicted upon them during the hours beyond the walls. 

Her thoughts would pierce her brain with such intense magnitude; she would often fall asleep with tears still streaking down her face.

Eating was another burden. Mikasa, or Sasha, or even Jean would come to her and force her to eat. She just didn’t have it in her to continue pretending Levi didn’t excessively impact her.

That was one of the only things she’d look forward to in her life; getting back on her feet and her friends’ constant visits. Sasha and Connie would always try and make her laugh with their foolish bickering and mindless ideas. Historia would sit with her quietly; pulling her hair into small braids or just combing the tousles out. Mikasa would come and read to her, attentively ensuring her plate was licked clean. Eren and Armin would pop by as well and try to ease her mind from her injuries by reminiscing about their childhood. Armin would remain quiet most of the times, leaving the talking to the other boy.

And then there was Jean. 

Sometimes, he would visit her very early in the morning; before training. He would talk to her about the upcoming missions and then bicker with her about their equivalently effective combat skills, always smirking when Eden would say she could still kick his ass, albeit all the fractures she’d grown accustomed to. 

He would also come and visit her late at night when she yet again couldn’t close her eyes in peace and beckon sleep. They would talk about life beyond the walls, wondering just how different people would be...if there even were any people left.

But, Eden never uttered out a single word regarding her and the Captain to anyone. Her friends could see the dimness in her eyes- the fiery flame long extinguished by a reason unbeknownst to them. The charcoal-haired girl physically wouldn’t bring herself to let the words roll off the tip of her tongue; afraid it would bring a wave of emotions that would subsequently make her crumble. 

Yet, her eyes would always flicker towards the door; hoping she’d see the man her heart yearned for walk in.

After nearly two weeks, she could finally start going on walks around the HQ. She’d stroll around before the brink of dawn or at some ungodly hour during the night; afraid she’d accidentally fall captive to a pair of soft, steel eyes. 

Her ribs and head trauma had slowly healed and Eden began craving the taste of being out sparring with her friends again. 

* * *

Then one day, she was laying in bed, reading one of Mikasa’s book when a timid knock sounded from the other side. She perked up quickly, snapping the book shut whilst meekly affirming to the other individual that it was okay for them to enter. 

Her heart faltered in disappointment; eyes threatening to well up with tears yet again as Armin walked in shyly. 

Eden sent him a sweet smile, thanking the fact that he was still not close enough to see how her bottom lip wobbled. He returned the grin as he walked towards her hastily. 

“Eden,” her childhood best friend greeted, sitting beside her on the bed, handing her a blossoming chamomile flower. 

Eden’s heart clenched at the flower. 

“How are your ribs?” Armin inquired whilst placing his hands on his lap, fingers twitching as he pulled at his sleeves. 

“I’m as healthy as a horse,” Eden replied cynically, running a hand over her face as she blinked back at him. She could tell there were something specific on his mind by the way his brows furrowed. His physiognomy was no secret to her; she could read him like an open book- just like she could read both Mikasa and Eren. 

“I’m sorry about that day,” he suddenly blurts out; startling the girl. 

_There it was._

“What are you talking about?” She asked him softly, pulling her knees to her chest, listening to him snivel. He shook his head, lowering it as he spoke.

“I lost control of my emotions. Instead of jumping into action as soon as that titan grabbed you; my feet felt cemented to the ground. If Jean wasn’t there...-” Armin snapped his head away from the girl, tears swimming in his eyes, grazing down his cheeks rapidly.

“Armin,” she called out for him, her voice sickly sweet as her heart cracked at the sight of the boy crying. She took his hand in hers, gently urging him to look at her. 

The rigidness in her eyes dissolved as she helped him calm down, the smile on her lips reassuring and warm. “Don’t ever blame yourself for what happened. Truth be told, I probably would have reacted the same way. Seeing you get picked up by a titan...or Eren...or Mikasa...I’d just be petrified. There’s absolutely no way for me to recover if I ever lost you,” Eden whispered to him, pulling him into a gentle embrace. 

His arms wrapped around her tightly, body shaking with the tremors of the quiet sobs that spilt against Eden’s shirt. She held him there; her mind recollecting the way she’d hold Armin every time they’d catch him beaten under his bullies’ boots. Their other two friends would chase them away, but Eden would stay behind and calm Armin down. He was like her baby brother, and watching him feel guilty for freezing utterly broke her. 

“Armin you’re so bright and such a genius. You can’t deny that fact when Commander Erwin bestowed the previous expedition’s strategic plans to not only Hange, but to you too. Shit happens, we’re at war. You froze, but you had a comrade that was there to help out. Don’t blame yourself for ‘what if’ situations,” she continued, pushing the sun ray strands of hair out of his eyes. 

Nodding tightly, Armin wiped the tears away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just, the thought makes me sick to my stomach, Eden.” 

In turn, the girl hummed in agreement; handing him her untouched glass of water that sat upright on her nightstand. 

After about an hour, Eden finally managed to steal Armin’s memories of that dreadful day away, even if it were just for a short period of time. She spoke to him about training and Eren and the horses in the stable- pretty much anything to keep his wrestling thoughts at bay. 

That was until, Armin gazed at her through curious, sea-blue eyes, his words making her heart feel like it was squeezing her throat shut. 

“So are you and Jean...like a thing now?” 

She sat there blinking at him for a long moment; trying her best to keep the thick layer of emotions off his radar. 

“We were...something,” she began, and for some reason, the glint in Armin’s eyes made her feel reassured. Like it was okay for her to finally reveal her inner thoughts. He always had a way of assuring the girl that she could share anything with him. It was just the kind of person he was. 

“It was nothing official; but it was there. But, Jean decided it was best to end it. I guess I have no one else but myself to blame for that,” Eden sighed, her chest shaking as she closed her eyes- begging for the tears to not glisten across her pupils. But, it was too late. 

“Why would it be your fault?” Armin urged her. He knew what type of person Eden was, too. 

She was a sensitive girl that had troubles expressing her feelings. When they were growing up together, he would always be the one holding the paintbrush, urging her to paint out her feelings- convincing her that nothing harmful would come her way if she opened up about all that bubbled up within her soul; weighing her down. 

Dropping her head, she let out a loud sob. It was now her turn to break down. Thinking back to Jean; guilt ebbed away at her conscience. “It just is. He’s such a sweetheart and being with him felt comfortable. He was someone I can wholeheartedly trust and rely on to stick by me through thick and thin. A-and I feel so lost, it’s like I’m drowning in my own thoughts,” she continued, her voice cracking, filling up with immense pain to the brim. 

“Perhaps something happened that led him to reaching his ultimate decision?” Armin inquired, shifting closer to Eden as he rubbed a soothing hand over her back. 

The broken girl cradled her head with her palms, shaking from side to side at the flickering images of Captain Levi washing through her mind. It was like torture, watching something that brought up so many sickly emotions within her over and over again. 

Speaking about it was even worse.

“Everything is so unclear to me, Armin,” she cried, the feelings seeping out of her unstoppably, “He came here and told me he couldn’t be with me anymore because he didn’t want to feel like he was sharing me with someone. He wouldn’t dwell on it; but he reassured me that whatever happened, he’d be by my side. He also told me that when he pulled me out of the titan’s grasp, I had called for the Captain instead of him before passing out.” Eden ducked her head, wanting the blankets to swallow her whole. 

She had never admitted anything regarding her and Captain to a single soul; afraid that she spoke it out into the world, it would solidify whatever emotions scorched her body to a different extent. 

Armin patiently waited for Eden to recollect her messed up thoughts, her sobs low and heart wrenching- sending around the type of pain that makes ones organs shrivel up inside their body. 

“I’ve always had such a hot and cold relationship with the Captain. Sometimes, he’s so good to me; and he looks at me as though I am an equal instead of a freshly-recruited Scout. Then, other times I feel like he’s the cruelest person in the world. He kissed me, you know?” Eden began rambling; finally ready to rid herself of all the baggage holding her heart. “He came in after Jean had left and we spoke. Then, he kissed me...” 

There was a long pause as Armin processed her words carefully, trying his best to conceal the fact that his friend had just confessed to kissing the most intimidating man on base. 

“I think it’s perfectly understandable for you to feel confused,” Armin began, his soft, comforting voice sounding like a beautiful melody to the heartbroken girl. 

She stared at him through thick tears; speckles of green and brown swirling around her pupils when she blinked. 

“I’ve noticed the way he looks at you during training, but naturally, I disregarded any additional thoughts just because I always assumed he was just highly impressed by your skills. But, now that you’re saying all this, it makes sense,” Armin mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled back at her. 

“Nothing makes sense,” Eden spat the words out as though they were laced with poison, wrapping her arms around her knees tightly. “He kissed me and he’s not spoken to me in nearly two weeks. I feel like I can’t keep up with this game.” 

“Eden, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I’m sure you’ll get through this without my opinions clouding over you. But, you should just listen to your heart. Your heart is the one thing that can dictate your feelings and truly make you realize what it is you want exactly. Open your eyes and look for the thing yearned by your heart.” 

His words had struck a cord in her. Long after he had left, Eden thrashed in bed, thinking hard about what Armin had neatly laid before her. 

She sighed to herself, pressing her palm against her chest, feeling the way her heart beat behind her ribcage. 

“What the fuck _do_ you want?” She muttered before concealing her body under the thick duvet and falling into the grips of a deep slumber; for the first time in a very long time; feeling somewhat at peace. 

-

The following few days, Eden caught glimpses of the Captain here and there. But, he never advanced towards her; therefore she never approached him. Often, he’d catch her stare from afar and his eyes would shift away almost immediately. It made Eden’s chest burn with displeasure as she’d huff irritably and stalk off the other way. 

But, what she’d never know was how Levi’s stormy grey eyes would always fixate on her retreating figure; drinking every single detail about her in before she’d disappear back into the castle

Spending the days watching her comrades train from afar; she felt too afraid to actually move closer to them. She’d watch the way Levi’s hair would be ruffled by the wind’s slender fingers. The way his features would contort into an irritated sneer if someone messed up during any part of the training sessions. 

Then one day, she waited by the stone walls of the HQ, arms wrapped around herself; watching her friends gasp for air after finally finishing their seeming endless amount of laps. The sun was setting, a warm orange blanket tainting the earth. 

Jean stalked towards her, chest heaving as his cheeks were painted a pretty soft shade of pink. Eden raised a brow at him, pushing herself off the wall as she met him halfway. 

“Don’t tell me you’re going to pass out because he made you run a few laps...-”

He glared at her menacingly before letting out a snort. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been running for the past hour and a half, nonstop. Did you not see what he did to Connie when he bent over to ‘tie his shoelaces’?” 

Eden laughed as the memory of Levi pulling Connie up by the ear flickered through her mind. “Poor boy. And to think he thought that he had come up with a sly excuse to rest.” 

Jean offered to accompany her on her walk and they fell into a whirlwind of conversations about everything. She’d tease him about his stance and he’d bully her about her tousled her; immediately apologizing when she feigned offence. 

“I thought you knew how to take a joke, Jeanie-boy,” she snickered at him, gently elbowing him when he glowered at her. 

“I can take a joke darling. I just don’t know how far I can push it,” he muttered under his breath, draping his heavy jacket over her shoulders when a cool breeze settled around them. 

“Oh you! Although always making fun of your fighting skills; you know that deep down, I sincerely admire your upper cut punches,” she retorted, eyes glinting up at him when his lips curled into a smirk.

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about. Do keep going...-”

The sun was a long forgotten memory for the day as grasshoppers chirped into the darkness; the two soldiers' boots grinding against the pebbles as they made their way around the front area of the headquarters. Eden swore that she’d seen someone walk into the stables with her peripheral vision before brushing it off solemnly; knowing for a fact that if someone did go to tend to the horses; it most probably wouldn’t be the person she was craving to see. 

Taking his jacket out of her extended grasp, Jean began making his way up the steps towards the grand entrance of the base when Eden spoke up softly. 

“I want to stay out a little longer. I’m so sick of laying in bed all day. This is the only form of exercise I can add to my new routine. And as much as I’d love to take up your offer to spar in secret; my nurse would beat me back into bed if she did find out. Trust me when I tell you, she wasn’t exactly nice when she caught me doing sit ups in my room one morning,” she sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes until stars peppered her vision.

“Oh right, no problem, I’ll leave you to it and pass by to hang out later on tonight. I need to eat now,” he rambled, stepping back down towards Eden, causing her to stiffen ever so slightly at the gentle touch of his fingertips brushing her hair behind her ear.

She looked up at him with widened eyes as he craned his neck, planting a faint kiss at the corner of her mouth. 

“I miss you,” Jean muttered out grimly as he ran his fingers through her wavy hair. Her heart began galloping in her chest as Armin’s soft voice gently beckoned her to recall his words. 

_What does your heart want?_

Eden reluctantly took a step back, tenderly catching his wrist with her fingers. “Jean, I...-” 

“I know, I know. See you later, darling,” he replied quickly, kissing her knuckles before walking away; leaving Eden alone with her overwhelming thoughts. 

She walked for a long time, kicking the rocks from under her boots; tucking at her hair as she thought deeply about her life. 

It was strange to think about the little, frail girl she once was- constantly disregarded as a human being by her ignorant parents. She’d always seek comfort in her friends, until one day, she decided it would be best to bottle up her emotions and tuck them far away from everything in the universe. 

Eden was so deep in thought as she glared down at the ground; she didn’t pick up on the heavy, impending footsteps stalking towards her from behind. 

She yelped as someone caught her by the wrist; twisting her around, slamming her body against the wall. Dropping her head, Eden let out a cough as the heavy air collided with her lungs. 

Her heart skipped a beat; butterflies rousing in her stomach once she looked up to see her Captain pressed against her firmly; his eyes holding traces of seething somberness. She felt like she could cry out of happiness; but that ecstasy blended with the pain and anger she grew to feel for him after falling asleep every day, cradling her fractured heart. 

“Captain,” she sighed out, inclining her head to face his ever so slightly as she felt his hips pressed against her in place. It took all within her not to bite her bottom lip as heat spread through her body like an unrestrainable wildfire. 

Levi’s pupils grew darker as he listened to her soft, pleading voice. He held her wrist beside her head; using the weight of his body to keep her unmoving. It seemed like his plan ricocheted back towards him when she began writhing against him, a slice of his stoic façade ebbing away 

His iron grip grew stronger as he leaned in towards her, tilting his head to the side as he watched her wide, amber eyes gaze at him. 

“You guys didn’t seem very much ‘broken up’ to me,” Levi snapped at her, noting the way her eyes flickered to every single inch of his face. 

Eden wanted to free herself from him; but the more she squirmed; the harder it was for her to focus on his words. Albeit the anger that ran its course through her body; the ultimate amount of proximity between them made her heart beat so fervently. She barely heard his words over the sound of her blood rushing to her ears. 

She looked at him through hardened features and Levi’s eyes widened at the flicker of her lashes and the bittersweet blush that freckled her cheeks. 

Parting her lips as she held his heated stare, Eden slowly retaliated, “We are broken up, _sir_.” Her words flowed through her lips as though she had just uttered out a sinful confession. 

Levi’s eyes flashed with what seemed like contemplation; as if he was thoroughly processing each word in his head. Their eye contact didn’t waver as Eden grew to completely forget about the coldness of the nighttime wind. She stood pinned against the wall by Levi in the most staggering of ways. Every little twitch her body couldn’t hold in; she’d feel his body against hers and it drove her insane. 

Levi huffed under his breath, the forearm pressed against her throat gently moving away so he could grip her hair with his fist. 

He tilted her head to the side. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

Eden watched his eyes flicker to her lips and she curled them slyly. Capturing his stare once more, she raised a brow. 

“Is that a challenge?” 

A dark glint blazed in his eyes as silky strands of hair fell over them. He leaned his head towards hers slowly, halting in the last moment when their noses brushed; lips a breath away from touching. 

Eden’s chest moved rapidly as she tipped her chin up to meet him halfway; but a cruel smirk ghosted over his lips. 

“I guess it is, brat,” he retaliated after a long pause before pulling away altogether. He stalked off authoritatively, leaving Eden burning up against the coldness of the stone wall.


	20. Trust and Commitment

A few days later, Eden was officially free of being barred away in the medical quarters.

Hurriedly, she gathered her things and practically sprinted back to her bedroom before wrapping herself up in her harness, uniform and boots. She felt so elated, as though a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest as soon as the nurse graced her with the green light.

Now, the only thing that was properly on Eden’s mind was the Levi’s last words to her. 

_I guess it is, brat._

His words had carved themselves deep into her bones; as well as finding shelter in the darkest, most hidden place in her brain. She couldn’t stop thinking about him; scheming of ways to beat him at his own hot and cold game. 

Jean was more than happy to assist her with her games. Although she had never asked him for help, Jean would almost always find a way to flirt with her. It was just their way of communication- light, innocent and incredibly refreshing. He’d throw his arm over her shoulder lazily after training or lean against her side whilst they ate. 

Eden found herself laughing harder, talking louder and becoming more buoyant around Jean when the Captain was around. The atmosphere automatically grew bleaker when the intimidating man entered the room. He didn’t mean for that to happen, merely focusing on his cup of tea or the paperwork in his hand, but the daunting aura followed him everywhere. 

It put the raven-haired girl on edge every time she could sense him close by. Their eyes would meet over Jean’s shoulder when he’d walk into the dining area and Eden would automatically bat her eyelashes at her comrade; sending him the toothiest of grins that made her plump lips stretch widely, and eyes crinkle.

She’d never miss the chance to catch the way Levi’s jaw would clench tightly, stormy eyes twitching in irritation as the grip on his teacup would visibly grow stronger.

It made her thrive. 

When Levi had the chance, he’d be ruthless with Eden; making her run more laps than the others because he ‘wasn’t satisfied with her running’. His scowl would grow deeper when she’d flicker her eyes to Jean in front of him, a devious smile painted across her face. 

That made the Captain grab her by the arm and shove her away from the rest of the Squad, barking at her to continue running laps until the sun went down. 

* * *

Then one warm, sunny afternoon, Eden and her comrades were training outside, beside the wall of giant trees and buzzing bees. 

Levi was busy speaking to Hange as Eren trotted behind them sulkily, sending Eden a playful smirk when she caught her childhood best friend’s eyes. 

“Are you tired? Want me to carry you back to the medical quarters?” Jean’s deep voice mocked her as they stood opposite each other. Eden’s eyes snapped back to him, arching a brow. 

“Stop trying to make up excuses for not sparring with me, Jeanie-boy. If you’re not up for a spar session; all you need to do is beg me to go train with someone else,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, darling. I promise to go easy on you,” Jean sneered back at her, rolling the cuffs of his white shirt up to his elbows as he settled his body in the first fighting stance. 

She mirror him, pouting her lip as her hands balled into fists, stretching them outwards. 

“My hero, let’s see what you’ve got for me,” she said smoothly, charging at him without a second’s notice. 

He recoiled quickly, shifting his body out of the way as her fist swung at him. Raising his own fist towards her, Eden grunted as his knuckles nearly collided with her jaw. She captured his wrist, twisting it in an awkward way, kneeing him in the gut. 

He swore under his breath, smirking mischievously at the sight of Eden growing angrier; her erratic moves quick and choppy. 

“Feisty. I like it,” the boy muttered when Eden sent another punch towards his face. She caught him in the chin; ducking hurriedly when he stepped to the side, attempting to elbow her away from him. 

Suddenly, she let out a squeak when he grabbed her by the waist, slamming her down onto the ground. 

“Jeez,” she groaned, letting go of a shrill giggle when his fingers brushed against her side. “What the hell? That’s not fair...Jean...-” Eden shook with laughter as his fingers ghosted over her tickle spots. He fell to his knees as he attacked her ruthlessly, watching her try her best to squirm away in between heavy gasps for air. 

Eden was an extremely ticklish person. Her reflex was so bad to the point of her growing violent if someone touched her sides, just below her ribs and against the curve of her slim waist. 

Her palms pressed against his chest as she tried shoving him off of her; but her attempts were for nothing. Sighs of pleading echoed out of her, hazel eyes filling with tears as he continued pushing her, a wicked, victorious smirk masking his handsome features. 

“Don’t you dare ever say I’ve never won against you,” Jean growled at her, unable to suppress the lopsided smile that stretched across his face when Eden began nodding fervently. 

“Sure, no problem, I promise. I...-”

“Oi, idiots.” 

Her blood turned into ice as Jean froze above her. He quickly scurried to his feet, saluting the approaching man firmly. 

Eden lay on the ground, shaking; eyes wide as she tried her best to purse her lips and completely conceal the grin threatening to contort her face. 

The sun grew covered by Levi as he loomed over her, scorching eyes blazing down at her. She swallowed thickly as she moved to sit up. Thankfully, her Captain was a gentleman, and he decided to assist her with that by grabbing her by the collar and pulling her up to her feet. 

Her hands shot up to catch his wrist; but he shook her forcefully, his chiseled jaw defined by the muscles tightly clenching underneath. 

“ _This_ is why you nearly got yourself killed, you dumbass,” he seethed at her, brows furrowed deeply as Eden continued trying to free her collar from his iron grip. 

“Captain, it was my fault too...-” Jean began urgently, snapping his mouth shut when the Captain’s glare settled on him. 

“Shut it. You weren’t the one who spent nearly a month bedridden, straw-head,” Levi retaliated in a lethal tone, his words dripping with poison. Shifting his glare back to Eden, he ended the training session for the rest of the Squad and ordered for them all to head back to base and clean their quarters. 

“I didn’t tell you to go, brat,” he barked at her when she tried stepping away once more. 

He let go of her abruptly, causing her to lose her balance for a split second before recollecting herself. 

“Captain,” she began, her words halting their path on her tongue when he held his hand up. 

“According to the nurse, you’re fit enough to handle a real fight. Let’s see if you’ve forgotten what you’ve learnt,” he quipped, craning his neck before holding her gaze for a long moment. 

Eden stared at him in shock, her heart racing avidly as she stepped towards him. 

“I bet you missed beating me up,” she replied, raising her fists at him. 

He scoffed under his breath, swinging his arm towards her harshly as he spoke flatly. “Trust me when I tell you I could care less about your injuries, Eden. I can do what I want, _whenever_ I want.” 

She dodged him quickly, twisting her body effortlessly until her back collided with his chest. “I find that hard to believe, sir.” The bone of her elbow caught Levi in the ribs. 

Eden didn’t know whether it was her retort that had affected him or the unexpected move; but Levi visibly grew angrier. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her against the tree bark beside them. The wood grazed her cheek and she winced; knowing better than to thrash when he kicked the spot behind her knee. 

Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, her bones cracking as they met the hard floor with a _thud_. Pulling her by the hair once more, Levi craned her head until her face was looking up at his whilst he towered over her menacingly. 

“Watch your mouth, brat,” he snarled at her, ignoring the way she hissed when his fingers stiffly laced with her locks in a harsher manner. She couldn’t do anything but look into his blown-out, steel pupils. Yet, both of them had no knowledge of the tall individual who stood far away from the scene; watching them intently- cerulean eyes glinting as a smirk formed on his lips. 

With a tight nod to himself, a level-headed Commander Erwin watched as the pair sparred, undoubtedly sensing the intensity of each calculated move from afar. The tension made him affirm to himself that they would be the most suitable team for the new mission sealed in his mind. 

Gripping her collar once more, Levi shoved her to the ground before wiping his hands with the small handkerchief hidden in the pocket of his uniform at all times. 

“Get up. I want you to go clean the bathrooms. If you have the energy to mess around, I’m sure you can spend a good hour hunched over those grimy toilets.” He blinked down at Eden as she pulled herself to her feet; caught a little aback at the fabricated smile that plastered itself onto her face. 

“It would be my pleasure, sir,” she chirped back at him in a spiteful way; sauntering away rapidly in fear that he’ll pull her back and punch her in the face. 

* * *

She swore under her breath when she heard the door of the restroom swing open. 

“I literally just started. I hope you didn’t come to inspect my cleaning just yet...Sasha? Connie? What are you doing here?” Eden blinked at the duo who had walked in sneakily, twisted grins splayed over their faces as they both gripped some sort of cleaning supply.

“Nonsense, Eden. We came to help you out!”

“Ain’t no way we’ll let you clean on your own when you’ve just healed,” Connie retorted, heading towards the bottle of antibacterial cleaner. Sasha sprayed the mirrors with glass cleaner liquid, winking at Eden, affirming what the boy had just stated. 

Eden felt her insides warm up. “Thanks, you guys. I truly appreciate it. Can’t say the Captain will commemorate your actions with a medal though.” 

“Yeah yeah,” Sasha rolled her eyes at the girl’s words. “We know that! But, that’s only if he knows we’ve been here. Trust me, Connie and I are super good at remaining undercover. Don’t worry about anything but removing those icky stains from the floor, ewww.” 

They chattered as they cleaned rapidly, each individual focusing on a different area. Eden laughed when she found out that her friends had watched her spar with Levi; feeling a little proud that Sasha had decided to bet on her that she’d win this one. She kicked Connie’s boot when she realized that he had bet on the Captain. 

“You can’t blame me. I won in the end. Now Sasha owes me her weekly fruit snack.” 

Sasha concealed the grin from the oblivious boy, directing it only towards a set of warm, hazel eyes. “Allegedly. I just said I’ll _consider_ giving him my fruit snack if I see that the Captain was being too harsh on you.” 

Their conversation came to a halt when the sound of boots resonated around them. 

Three pairs of wide eyes searched each other’s faces for an answer on what the hell they should do. 

“The cubicles,” Eden hissed through her teeth, shoving each comrade in a separate stall. The front door swung open viciously just as Eden managed to close the second stall’s door shut. She leaned against the wood, pretending to be taking a break when Levi’s glare settled against her face. 

She cleared her throat awkwardly, tapping her palm against the door as she pushed herself off it. “Hello there, Captain. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” 

Levi didn’t respond. His steady stare lingered over the spotless floor, the sanitized sink and the shiny mirrors. He then sharply turned to frown at her.

“Quit playing, Eden. Who helped you clean the restrooms?” 

Silence settled around them as Eden’s brain racked with excuses. Her eyes widened and she feigned offence. “No one? You told me to come clean the bathrooms and that’s exactly what I did.” 

He paused, scrunching his nose at her words. “I didn’t take you for a liar. There’s absolutely no way you managed to clean everything in fifteen minutes.” 

Eden’s brows furrowed as she tipped her chin towards him. “I guess you need to stop underestimating me, Captain. Maybe I’m just full of surprises.” 

Levi let go of a breathy huff, shaking his head ever so slightly as he turned to the side; still standing stationary at the threshold. “Come with me. Commander Erwin wants to speak with us.” 

Curiosity seeped through her as she quirked a brow in his direction. “Oh?” 

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he titled his head towards the hallway. “We don’t have all day for you to process my words. I can write everything down for you later. Let’s go.” 

“I’ll meet you there. Let me just put everything away...-”

“Did I ask you? I said come on,” he impatiently threw at her, watching with a dark glint in his eyes as she trotted towards him wordlessly. It was as if she could sense Connie and Sasha’s impending laughter and she wished she’d just linger around a little longer. 

Walking past the threshold, Levi drearily matched her pace before placing a hand on the small of her back; guiding her towards his office in a bored, aloof manner. 

Eden’s face remained emotionless; but her insides grew heated up as she couldn’t focus on anything but the firm press of his hand against the thinly concealed skin. The sound of cackles and giggles echoed through the hallway a moment after the pair had disappeared towards Levi's office.

* * *

“I’m sorry Commander, I’d just love some confirmation. So, you want me to accompany Captain Levi to retrieve an undisclosed report regarding ancient titan findings for Hange from the Trost District?” Eden repeated what the Commander had previously just reiterated, making Levi pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. 

“That’s right,” Erwin smiled at her from behind Levi’s desk, his arms clasped behind his back. His height intimidated Eden so much. The Commander was definitely a force to be reckoned with and although he had starkly contrasting features in comparison to her Captain; his deep-blue eyes visibly revealed the thirst he had to lead his people towards victory. 

Inclining his chiseled jawline towards the shorter man, Erwin spoke again. “I trust you are able to manage this assignment on your own. If you’re aware of the type of man Dimo Reeves is; you’ll know better than to trust the words he’ll throw your way.” He leaned over the desk, fingers settling against the immaculately clean wood, “At the end of the day, merchants thrive on bargains and what better way to lure the Survey Corps in with a deal regarding unspoken secrets about the world outside the walls?” 

Eden nodded her head in affirmation, trying her best not to continuously flicker her eyes back to the Captain beside the Commander. She could feel his stare piercing through her skull; as though he was urging her to break her pact and meet his eyes. 

Blinking rapidly, Eden pressed her fist over her heart, saluting them both formally, holding the Commander’s inquisitive stare. “I would be honored to assist my Regiment on a mission that could substantially assist humanity in the bigger picture. Thank you for considering me, Commander.”

The tall man waved her off, but stood impressed by the confidence emitting from the young woman. He could definitely appreciate why Levi seemed so intrigued by her. 

She was like a fresh breath of air; her eyes glinting with the flame of hope- although having first-hand experiences with exactly what humanity’s hardships were like. Many comrades would lose that spark after the second, or even the first battle in open territory. 

This was why Erwin has decided Eden was the best choice to accompany Levi on this classified operation. Putting all his cards in, Erwin knew that there was a considerably enormous chance for Dimo Reeves’ proposition to be a farce. 

But, it was worth the risk.

“Very well, Chiasa. Prepare yourself. You are to depart tomorrow at the brink of dawn. The Regiment has full trust that this will all be for something. You're dismissed.” 

Bowing her head lightly, Eden began stepping backwards towards the exit of an office she knew all too well. 

“Thank you, Commander. Captain.” She glanced towards Levi, the butterflies in her stomach going wild as he stoically tipped his head downwards in response. 

Closing the door with a trembling hand, Eden rushed back to her bedroom, praying to whoever could hear her thoughts that she’d have the power to go through a long mission with only Levi by her side. 


	21. Passionate Crossroads

Whether it was her nerves blended with the anxiety of the upcoming mission; or the butterflies ravaging her from the inside-out, Eden could not sleep that night. 

Perhaps, she managed to rest her eyes for three and a half hours or so, spending most of her time curling around in her bed; listening to the piercing songs of the grasshoppers outside her window. 

When they began quieting down, the fatigued girl slipped one almond eye open; watching as the dawn sky began growing lighter. It was still dark outside, the air cool and crisp; and Eden wanted to make sure she was up and ready to go before Captain Levi could find a reason to be irritated with her. 

Shoving the covers off her body; she hastily got ready, spending a meticulous amount of time swearing under her breath as she fastened her hooks over her body, tightening them a breath away from asphyxiation. 

She pulled her hair into her usual tight bun as she made her way down the somber staircase- the eerie silence deafening and thick around her. Eden wondered whether the Captain was awake yet; or if he had even gotten a chance to sleep that night. 

Both her and Levi’s horses were still secured inside the stables. Rubbing their muzzles, Eden spoke to them softly, telling them that they’ll need to prepare for yet another assigned expedition. Her horse whinnied at her words; whilst Levi’s ink-colored horse stood solemnly staring back at her. 

“Even your horse is moody, gosh,” she muttered under her breath, holding the reins of both creatures as more sunshine began spreading evenly across the terrain. 

Her pacing grew slower at the sight of Levi emerging from the front doors of the HQ. The longer strands of coal hair stood pushed behind his ears whilst the shorter ones perfectly framed his face. 

His tired eyes settled against her approaching figure as he continued making his way towards Eden; his uniform well-pressed as always, whilst the green cape flowed with the gentle breeze. 

“Good morning, Captain,” Eden spoke up first, eyes shifting from his metal ones over to the darkened circles painted underneath them. He looked so strained and tired, it made Eden’s heart falter for a split moment. 

“Morning.” 

“I brought you your horse. I figured we can start heading to Trost as soon as possible in order to retrieve the report,” the girl chirped, her eyes glinting as she extended the hand holding his horse’s reins. 

Levi’s eyes dropped to her hand, slowly craning his own hand towards the harness. 

“Sure,” he replied rigidly and as much as Eden was irritated by his cold exterior; she couldn’t help but feel her insides warm up at the tender brush of their fingers once he took the reins out of her grasp. They lingered, even if it was for a split moment and it was enough for Eden to relax and smile at him warmly. 

The Captain’s brows furrowed at the younger girl before turning around, softly calling for his horse to follow. Eden chewed the skin on her bottom lip, trailing after the Captain and his beautiful horse. 

After they both checked that everything was intact and settled against the saddles, Levi whipped his head in Eden’s directly; his soft lips pursed into a thin line. 

“I have faith that you will not disappoint me,” he told her in a clipped tone, pulling the hood over his head. 

Eden nodded her head in affirmation; heated hazel eyes never leaving Levi’s jeweled hues. “I hope to never do such a thing,” she replied meekly, earning a nod from him in response. He seemed satisfied with her words, albeit the mask that remained intact against his hardened features. 

The girl swore to herself that she would do anything to see his physiognomy tamed, peaceful and soft. She knew deep down, that her heart would simply burst at the image of a gentle-looking Levi. 

She took one last glance at the headquarters before it disappeared behind a thick wallpaper of forest trees. 

Eden would always be a sentimental creature. 

* * *

Their horses strode along the pathway in silence; both individuals trying their best to focus their gazes ahead. Eden would always try to sneak a glance at the Captain’s sunken face when he wasn’t looking. 

But, unbeknownst to her, Levi was very good at picking up on every little detail happening around him. Regardless, he decided he would let her assume she was being enigmatic; the ghost of a light smile threatening to pull at the corner of his lips. 

Eden tried to strike up a conversation before giving up entirely. She was too tired and feared that she’d say something out of line, which would subsequently pull Levi into an even gloomier mood. And, she felt perfectly comfortable basking in the silence, listening to their horses’ hooves clattering against the ground.

Whether it was due to the lack of sleep or the sudden memories of the previous expedition flooding through her mind; Eden could vouch that from the corner of her eye; she caught sight of a titan. She panicked, pulling at her reins rapidly; causing her own horse to sense her fear; rearing its forelegs off the ground. 

She fell off the saddle with a thud, wincing at the way her elbow collided with the ground. Her lungs begged for air as she gasped out loud, squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden assault of colors before her eyes. Eden grew very nauseous. 

After a split moment; a set of cold hands pressed against her, awkwardly holding her off the floor. She looked up as Levi irritably clicked his tongue; gently urging her to sit up. He crouched beside her, one of his knees brushing against the outside of her thigh as he steadied himself on the terrain.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, almost impatiently as his eyes searched her body, fingers prodding against the bones in her arm. 

“I’m okay, I just thought I saw _something_ ,” Eden replied grimly, rubbing her elbow as she looked away, fearful that he’d notice the way her cheeks grew pinker at his touch. 

Levi sturdily pulled her to her feet, his hands lingering against her arms for a moment longer. “Well, be careful, brat. I understand it could be overwhelming for you after everything that happened; but now is not the time to lose track of your focus.” 

She timidly bobbed her head in affirmation, “I’m sorry, Captain. It won’t happen again.” Her fingers grazed over his fist that still gripped her by the elbow. Levi let go of her timidly, pursing her lips as his eyes washed over her; inspecting her one final time. 

“Well, unless you’ve got any more surprises hidden in your sleeve, I suggest we continue. We should be there soon.” He marched back towards his horse, turning to glance back at her after settling against his saddle. 

With plump lips pressed into a thin line; Eden followed his suit, masking a snort behind a breathy sigh after his words reached her ears. 

* * *

Sauntering through the Trost District made Eden feel highly uncomfortable. All the stares directed towards their dark emerald-colored capes made her palms grow sweaty as she wordlessly guided her horse to follow Levi’s direction. 

The girl continued silently following her superior’s orders when he asked her to tend to the horses before disappearing into a tall, luxurious-looking building. She stroked their muzzles, gently letting them know they would be able to rest in a moment’s time. After securing them in the designated stables; she clasped her hands behind her back, walking in the direction that Levi had disappeared in. 

Stepping into the building was overwhelming. People craned their necks to scrutinize the soldier with the ‘Wings of Freedom’ patch against the fabric of her cloak. Clicking her jaw, Eden pushed all the staring out of her mind and headed towards Levi. 

His back was facing her and once she reached him; she immediately recognized the utterly disinterested stare that was etched against his features. A short, balding, overweight man shifted his stare from the Captain onto Eden. 

One of his brows arched as a vile smile carved itself below his thin mustache; framed by the hairs of his beard. 

“Dimo Reeves. I didn’t know pretty girls like you enrolled in the military. Especially with the Survey Corps. What a shame, really.” He extended his hand towards Eden, capturing her palm before she could react. 

She snatched her hand away as soon as he pressed his lips against her knuckles, her scowl revealing just how repulsed she was by his attitude. 

“There’s nothing shameful in devoting your life in order to see change, sir.” Eden sharply retaliated, wiping the back of her hand against her trousers as Reeves continued staring at her through darkened brown eyes. 

Levi remained quiet, his chiseled jaw tight and unmoving; his eyes never faltering off of the greedy businessman. 

“If you say so, doll. Now if you follow me, we can discuss the matters concerning your visit in a more private setting.” Reeves gestured towards the extravagant hallway behind him; eyes continuously flickering towards Eden. 

She felt her teeth grind together in her mouth, palms trembling due to the anger. Her bloodstream had become a cocktail blended with adrenaline and she tried her best to lower her head and avoid his probing eyes as her and Levi followed him down the hallway.

* * *

“Allow me to confirm, Dimo, we are not here to waste time on your bargains. You’ve contacted the Scout Regiment regarding undisclosed titan information. Let us know what you want in return and I’ll decide whether it’s worth the risk,” Levi said in a bored voice, his arms crossed against his chest as he stood in front of Dimo Reeves’ cluttered desk; with Eden standing closely behind him. 

She could feel the stares of the other two acquaintances as they loomed on either side of Reeves’ chair; narrowed eyes glaring at the soldiers in distaste. 

It took all within Eden not to glare back at them, instead, focused on training her face into a blank expression, lacking any emotion. Much like Levi’s everyday physiognomy. 

“Ah, yes, of course,” Reeves responded, craning his head downwards as his chubby fingers retrieved a cream-colored folder out of one of his drawers. He threw the folder against the papers scattered against his desk. “It’s a known fact that you soldiers are desperate for any drop of information. I stumbled upon these documents disclosing personal findings on the topic of titans.” 

Levi snatched the documents off the table, his nose scrunching in disgust at the mess. His grey eyes rapidly skimmed across the information ebbed in ink on paper. Eden remained silent beside him, her head facing forward whilst her own eyes rested against the papers in Levi’s hands. 

“A diary? How are we supposed to know whether this is coming from a reliable source?” Levi growled in irritation, placing the documents back onto the desk nonchalantly. Reeves’ eyebrows shot up as he quickly straightened into his seat. 

“It is reliable information. I was going through some of our personal belongings in the family vault and stumbled upon this report. Quite frankly, we Reeves men never keep something unless we know we can capitalize on it at one point in life. And since I have absolutely no interest in venturing beyond the walls, I offer you a deal.” 

Levi tipped his head to the side; dull, narrowed eyes glaring intensely at the merchant. 

Reeves continued hastily. “Captain, you can keep this diary and utilize the information within it for whatever way you desire and in return; I only ask for your assistance with protection if by any chance; another titan attack bestows our district.” 

The pause was thick with tension as Levi contemplated his words carefully. The weight of these pages could potentially cost them a fortune; but perhaps it was worth it. 

He nodded slowly at the businessman. “Very well. If there is indeed an unexpected attack, the Scouts will ensure your protection. However, that does not mean that in that moment; we will be risking the civilians’ lives in order to save yours. In addition to that, I’ll have you know that if we do take this report with us and we find out that it was all a farce; you better beg we never meet again.” 

Reeves let out a nervous chortle, placing his hand over his heart. “Times are tough, you know. Gotta be prepared for everything. And, I would never risk our civilians’ lives for the sake of saving my own.” Levi huffed in response. 

“I see we have a deal. You’re welcome to stay for a cup of tea with your little soldier whore. I’d love to get to know her a little better,” Reeves replied, licking his lips as he stared up at Eden. 

Her lips parted as she prepared to throw a snarky response back at him; only to have Levi beat her to it. “Refrain from talking to her in such a sleazy way. It doesn’t suit you and it’s inappropriate.” He stepped closer towards the desk, fingers picking up the report as irritated eyes settled onto the businessman’s angered face. 

“Captain Ackerman; I never took you for the possessive type of man. I assumed that you’d be willing to share delights like this. You can color me disappointed.” 

Albeit the aggravation taking over his mind entirely; Levi chose to turn away towards the door. Levi’s jaw clenched tightly. 

“I’ll be more than willing to color you black and blue if you keep this up. I’d rather willingly give myself over to the titans than to sit here and have tea with you. Thank you for the report.” His demeanor was cool and intimidating; voice low and absolute. It sent chills down Eden’s spine as she tailed after him; ignoring the sensation of Reeves’ eyes checking her out from head to toe as she slammed the door of his office shut. 

* * *

Eden glowered out of the window, absolutely seething as she recalled her interactions with Dimo Reeves. He had belittled her so much and she didn’t want to go against her Captain’s orders and talk out of line; thus making it seem like she accepted everything the businessman threw her way. 

Her stomach flipped in distaste as she continued glaring out into the nighttime. Levi’s eyes flickered off the pages and onto her figure. He was sitting in an armchair in the shared room they were forced to rent for the night due to the worsening weather. He had said it was either that or camping out in the wilderness. Naturally, Eden picked the luxuries with a shared bed through gritted teeth. 

“What happened, brat? Why are you being so sulky?” 

Her head whipped back to look at him before she let go of an exasperated sigh. Shaking her head, she bit her tongue, pulling the hair tie off her head; massaging her fingers over her skull. 

The more she thought about Reeves and his words; the more frustrated she became. And it was unfortunate enough that the only person she could reveal her irritations to is Captain Levi. 

“Why are you being so stubborn? I asked you a question,” Levi inquired once more, putting the papers down before resting his forearms against his knees; glaring up at her. 

“Do you agree with what Reeves called me?” She barked the question at him a little too viciously; her bottled emotions filled to the brim. 

His silver eyes widened slightly, lips parting in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Eden pushed her body off the wall as she stood in front of him, her slender arms folding in front of her chest as she looked down at his sitting form. “You know what I’m talking about...when he called me a ‘whore’.” She huffed in annoyance when all Levi did was blink up at her in a perplexed manner. 

“I’m asking you whether you think of me as a whore?” 

A sharp “tch” escaped through his lips as he ran a hand across his tired face; dropping his head to the ground. “Of course I don’t. Why would you say that?” 

Eden paused as her messed up mind attempted its best to formulate a valid response. She felt so blinded by anger and other emotions; every single thought seemed to integrate with another. 

“Because that’s how you make me feel sometimes. You’re so goddamn hot and cold with me. One moment you kiss me and then you ignore me for days. Then you see me again and you decide you want to punish me for no apparent reason. Why are you doing this to me?” 

Levi listened to her intently, his softened grey eyes focused on the hardwood floor. “I don’t know, Eden.” 

The silence was deafening. His words bothered her more than if he had just not replied at all. Balling her hands into fists, her knuckles cracked as an angry blush peppered her cheeks. She began pacing back and forth as she spoke again. 

“What do you mean you ‘don’t know’? That’s not a good enough answer, Captain. You’re Humanity’s Strongest Soldier; someone people respect because you bring hope back into the walls and you can’t answer a simple question? I don’t think you truly understand how much you’re messing with my head,” her words trailed off, but Levi heard every single bit of it. 

He remained silent, fingers interlinked together, brows furrowed and jaw tightly clicking. All of a sudden, his eyes flickered back to hers and he glowered at her. 

“Know your place, Eden. Don’t speak to me with that tone.” 

She let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through her hair as she finally stood in one place, glaring at him menacingly. “How the hell am I supposed to know my place when you keep bringing me up and down whenever you feel like it? What makes you think you can treat me like that?” Her voice began shaking and the anger displayed itself as a thinly failed peachy mask against the skin of her face. 

Levi watched her curiously, his eyes widening even more before shooting up out of the seat and towards her. 

She felt a wet, warm liquid trickling down her lips. As soon as the taste hit her tongue; she immediately recognized the coppery taste of her blood. She mentally swore, stepping back away from Levi; fingers fumbling for her nose. “Don’t change the subject, I’m asking you something.” 

The Captain’s eyes narrowed in frustration as he whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket. She battled against the grasp he had on her wrist before her back collided with the wall of the room. He pressed her against the wall in place as he gently tipped her head upwards, allowing the handkerchief a chance to soak up all the expelled liquid. 

“Stop being so hotheaded. Look what you’re doing to yourself,” he muttered, cleaning her nose so tenderly, Eden could barely feel the fabric against her skin. 

She leaned her head against the wall, looking into his eyes as he meticulously focused on the blood, brows scrunched together. “I’m not doing this to myself; you are. All I ask of you is answers; nothing more.” 

Levi looked into her eyes with a strained expression on his face. He remained silent as he wiped the last droplets of blood staining her lips and cupid’s bow; his body still pressed against hers.

His eyes were a painting filled with so much turmoil. They were so stormy; Eden felt like she could drown in them. She pulled the bloodied handkerchief out of his grasp before lightly pressing his fingertips against her cheek. Tilting her head into his touch, her heated gaze did not falter as she suffocated under his own stare. 

“You don’t need to hide anything from me,” Eden said softly, closing her eyes for a split second as he grazed his thumb against her cheekbones; his other fingers moving over to her jawline. 

When Eden opened her eyes again, she watched as he leaned his head in towards her. But there was that strained look of his face; and the way his brows furrowed- making him back up slightly. She blinked at him through her velvet lashes, lips parting as she wordlessly asked him not to move away. 

He inclined his head to the side, the inner turmoil growing more visible as he squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment; fingertips continuously brushing against her skin. 

Levi let go of a shaky breath before craning his head back to fully face her. 

“Tell me not to kiss you, Eden. I’m begging you,” he said in a smooth, low voice; sending a jolt of electricity along the girl’s spine. It caused her to arch her body into his; each gentle brush causing them both to lose control of their breaths. 

“I-,” Eden began in a shaky, mellow voice; but Levi didn’t give her the chance to finish her sentence as his lips crashed against hers desperately; swallowing whatever she had planned to say. 

The kiss was intoxicating and urgent. Levi’s grasp on her face tightened slightly; as though he felt like she’d disappear if he let go of her suddenly. Her arms flung around his neck as he kissed her hard, soft mewls escaping through her lips. She pulled him impossibly closer; the pressure of his body pressed against hers so intimately sending heat all throughout her body. 

His lips were soft and sweet; yet the way he kissed her- leaving her breathless like that- Eden couldn’t deny the rough undertone he graced her with. Levi grunted into her mouth in pleasure when her slender fingers slipped through his soft hair- something she had dreamed of doing for a long time. 

She gasped against his lips when he effortlessly picked her up; lips never leaving lips as he carried her towards the bed; his hands pressing against her thighs. Eden gulped a breath of air as he loomed over her; before kissing her heavily once more. Her legs wrapped around Levi's waist and she tried pulling him closer. He thankfully accepted the gesture. 

Levi’s tongue dominated her mouth as he explored every single inch of her; appreciating her delicious taste more than he could ever admit to anyone. Eden’s fingers found refuge in his hair once more, tucking at it gently as she sighed against his lips. 

The sound of her calling him “Captain” in such a sweet, sinful way made Levi kiss her harder. He finally moved away from her mouth; his lips pressing against the flesh of her jawline and throat in a lazy, sloppy way. Pulling him closer, Eden’s eyes fluttered shut; feeling the way her lips burned pleasantly as she squirmed under his touch. 

Goosebumps ghosted over her skin when she heard Levi sigh her name against her throat. Her mind spiraled and she felt like she had melted in his arms. 

It was in that moment when Eden confirmed to herself that Levi Ackerman would be the death of her. 


	22. Bewildering Circumstances

Tender sun rays whisked Eden’s cheeks soothingly.

Through closed eyelids, she could still feel the light beaming through the glass window; washing over everything in the room; including her physiognomy. Her arm extended against the mattress; as though she was blindly searching for the contact of cool skin under her fingertips.

But, all she did was graze over the washed out duvet cover. Blinking rapidly, she carefully slipped her eyes open, arching her back as she stretched- like a slender cat equipping herself for a heavy day out on the cobbled streets of Trost.

She had memorized the room’s layout all too well; every single detail etching itself into the back of her brain as she recollected the heated position she had been placed in by Captain Levi. Gingerly, Eden pressed her fingertips against her lips; the taste of him still lingering, the softened flesh cracked and bruised.

According to her muddled up thoughts; she had passed out in the bed after being gifted with the carnal opportunity of kissing Captain Ackerman. The thought of his blown-out pupils gazing down at her in such a wanton way made heat rush through her body like adrenaline; despite the fact that she had only just woken up a few minutes prior.

The harnesses lay draped over the armchair; her body clothed with just her shirt and her pants. Eden was way too anxious to remove her clothing during the night; afraid that Levi’s glinting, silver eyes would scorch her body and she’d give in way too easily.

Resting her back against the headboard; she looked through the window with a blank look painted on her face; her knees pressed against her chest. She wondered where he had gone; whether he regretted it all, whether he wanted more.

_Whether he was feeling the same way she was._

The front door creaked open and the sound of boots resonated through the spacious room. Eden’s eyes flitted towards the motion; only to be met with Levi’s uniformed back as he moved to close the door behind him.

Once he turned back in her direction; his eyes widened at the feline look that bore through him. He had two teacups in his hand; the steam grazing across his palms as it ascended out from the liquid.

“I brought you tea.” Levi spoke first in a low voice as he stalked across the room; gently handing Eden one of the teacups before lowering himself to sit beside her.

“Thank you,” she replied, shyly accepting the beverage with an unsteady hand and flustered cheeks. Levi regarded her intently through hooded eyes as her lips pressed against the orifice of the cup.

The tea was sweet and fruity- almost floral. Her stomach flipped when Levi rested his hand on the top of her knee.

Putting the teacup back onto the saucer resting on the nightstand; Eden perked up against the headboard, amber eyes glued to dull leaden-blue ones. His hand began trailing up her thigh. Her lungs begged for air as her heart grew stuck in her throat; lips parting slightly.

“I liked watching you struggle under me last night,” Levi breathed out; the hand on her thigh growing stronger. His words were like molten lava flaming her entire body up.

Levi swiftly used the grip on her body to pull her downwards, her head falling back into the pillows. Within a matter of seconds, he moved his body to tower over her, the darkened glint in his eyes revealing carnal fantasies making Eden’s own eyes widen. His knee pressed in between her legs as he lowered his head; promptly capturing her lips with his. She hissed at the sensation of his knee brushing against her; her arms snaking around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

His lips were gentler as opposed to the kisses he had peppered her with the night before. They were silky and smooth; but sharp enough to slice through the built-up tension in the room. Letting out a low, guttural groan, Eden’s body arched into him as his hand roamed her body over her clothes. His fingertips dragged painfully slowly over the curve of her breast, following the path along her slender waist before finally settling to squeeze her hip.

Eden let out another softened mewl against his lips when his own hips brushed against hers and his kisses grew more brutal. Her sweet sounds caused the Captain to hiss in pleasure against her lips; teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

“You’re being a tease,” the girl groaned as he sucked on her lip, a subdued growl reverberating out of him as he slipped his eyes shut.

“Where’s the pleasure in the lack of torture, brat?” His cool fingers raked through her hair before tucking on the locks lightly; causing her chin to jut out to the side. He used her angled head to kiss her neck; deeply enjoying the way Eden’s eyes fluttered closed, her fingers gliding over his sharp undercut.

Eden felt like time was slipping through her fingers in such a rapid pace. It was like the next breath she took was about an hour later; when both her and the Captain’s lips were bruised and swollen.

He left her to change in peace and as Eden clasped the hook of her green cape around her neck, the scent of his cologne overwhelmed her senses once more. Every little flicker of her eye, every pant she took, every sensation that garnished her fingertips caused her to immediately think back to him.

She had never known what the term ‘forbidden fruit’ had meant until she was met with Levi’s cold lips.

* * *

Much to her surprise, Levi had offered to take her out on a tour around Trost. Albeit the painful memories of her first battle within this district playing out behind her eyes; she accepted, listening intently to the way the Captain informed her about another, undisclosed task that was hushed-up between himself and Commander Erwin.

Walking side-by-side, Eden refrained from asking why he had made her wait for him outside a sketchy pub. He came back out hastily, his eyes disinterested and narrowed- the clench of his jaw revealing that whomever he had met with inside the establishment, had also left him with a bitter taste on his tongue.

The passers stole nervous glances at the two soldiers; but neither of them paid any attention as they walked along the paved streets of the busy district.

“I remember this area. I believe this was the place you and I met for the first time,” Eden broke the comfortable silence, extending an arm to indicate the familiar rooftop from which she had sprinted off in order to save her friends from an impending death during the Battle of Trost.

Levi’s eyes flickered towards the highlighted region before letting out an agitated sigh, his eyes shifting away quickly. “Yes. I had only known you for perhaps less than thirty seconds and your temerity managed to piss me off beyond anything.”

Eden huffed under her breath, running a hand through her hair in irritation. She didn’t know what had possessed her to loop an arm around his when he quickened his pace.

But, she couldn’t ignore the way Levi’s body stiffened. His steps grew slower and the way they walked so close to one another caused their capes to mangle and brush with each step.

They strode back towards the lodging; but Levi redirected their strides in a different direction. It was narrow, colder and darker than the sunny, open streets they had previously walked through.

“A shortcut,” was all he had said in response to the quizzical look he felt pierce through the side of his face.

Within the darkened alleyway; Eden’s heart began racing as she imagined an opportunity to feel his lips against hers once more arise. As if he could read every single fleeting thought in her head, Levi grabbed the arm laced through his; pressing her up against the cold wall with a thud.

No time was wasted on words as his mouth found hers urgently, as though her lips were the only source of water in the entire district. His palms lay against either side of her face as he drank her in; his body leaning against hers when Eden’s knees threatened to give out. Her nails dragged against the path of his neck as she called for him softly, her brows laced together revealing just how much pleasure Levi’s touch was bringing her.

Her tongue dragged itself against his bottom lip, tasting the sweetness of the tea he was previously drinking. There was something about the way Levi’s lips tasted that left Eden feeling utterly intoxicated.

The Captain pulled away from her swiftly, his breathing unsteady, his pupils blown out. His lips curled up lightly in a wicked smirk as he watched Eden’s messed-up persona- her mangled locks, parted lips and drunken look on her face.

“Don’t you think your disheveled appearance calls for punishment, brat?” Levi’s dull voice rippled through the silence, causing Eden to straighten up and arch a brow at him.

She glided her palms over her uniform, clearing her throat under his scrutinizing stare. “What happens when my appearance is solely caused by your doings, Captain?”

The smirk deepened, the twitches in his jaw visible in the darkness and he stepped forward, brushing his fingers through her hair.

Shoving the strands behind her ear, he leaned in, the sensation of his iced lips scraping her ear sending chills along the path of her spine. “That means you have no one to go sob to if I ever decide to discipline you for it, Chiasa.”

* * *

Riding back to the Headquarters was comforting. They eased into a relaxing conversation and Eden’s cheeks would flush ever so often. Her horse stood galloping within close proximity to the Captain's and the glacier winds grazed her face, numbing it completely.

“You can be honest and admit to enjoying my company, Captain,” Eden asserted through a large grin, the corners of her amber eyes crinkling when Levi glanced in her direction.

“Tch,” he scoffed, but his somewhat nonchalant mask revealed how unbothered he was by her playful demeanor. “If you’re just trying to rank up by messing around with your Captain, that’s not how it works, brat.”

His snarky response caught the girl off-guard and she let out a high-pitched, sheepish laugh. Levi’s head snapped back towards her; staring at her in wonder. This was perhaps the first time Eden had let out a hearty, full and raw laugh.

She cringed at herself, lowering her head, allowing her hair to curtain her blazing cheeks.

“But, we do make a good team,” Levi spoke once more, easing his horse into a slower gallop as soon as its pants began ringing through the wilderness.

“Oh? I apologize for the confusion, but was that a compliment?” Eden inquired, finally lifting her head after taming the blossoming blush that had engraved itself into her skin.

The Captain hummed flatly over the clattering sound of hooves. After a long pause, his deep voice asserted itself into the space between them. “Take it as you will. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if you stopped doubting everything I say to you.”

Eden chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to his voice. It was like she was in trance, afraid to think about how quickly she’d agree to any sort of order Levi sends her way.

Lost in the vortex of her thoughts, the girl nearly missed the words that slipped through his lips.

_Nearly._

“I don’t like seeing you with Kirstein.”

It was so out of the blue, Eden couldn’t respond to him immediately. Silence settled around them as the sun slowly began descending into its usual space for slumber. 

“What do you mean?” Her eyes were trained ahead of her, her knuckles growing white as the palms holding onto her horse’s reins became increasingly dampened with sweat. 

“It’s hard to believe you’re actually this dense, Eden,” Levi countered, his own knuckles growing paler as he finally urged his horse to gallop faster. Eden followed him, trying her best to match his pace. 

“Anyway,” he continued coolly, the shift in his demeanor causing Eden to physically become overwhelmed with dread. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Jean is just a friend,” she replied in irritation, very much aware of the way his head craned back towards her, eyes narrowed and filled with displeasure. 

“Didn’t seem like that when I caught you two in the stables. Or when I came to visit you in the infirmary...-”

“I’ll have you know, Captain,” she sliced through his words, lucid rage overwhelming her as each syllable trickled out of his mouth.

“Jean and I are just friends. Yes, we’ve had our moments, but that was it. Just moments. And when you saw him with me in the medical quarters; it’s because he came to tell me he couldn’t do anything with me anymore. He also let me in on the fact that it was not _his_ name I called out when he saved me from the titan...it was _yours_.” She took a deep breath before her furrowed brows raised. “Still feeling jealous?” 

He didn’t respond. In fact, Levi didn’t even look at her. His gaze was focused straight ahead at the forthcoming sight of the familiar trees surrounding their base. 

After a while, all he did was scoff.

* * *

Arriving back at the headquarters was very anticlimactic. 

Levi was back to being cold and butthurt and Eden could only seethe in silence. He strapped his horse away in the stables and stalked off, not even shedding Eden a single flicker of eye contact.

Despite the irritation coiling inside her body, the girl continued on with her day as usual- going to greet her friends and spend some time with Sasha and Connie. 

Sometime later in the afternoon, the sensation of overthinking ebbed at her consciousness way too much for her to handle. So, balling her palms into fists, Eden marched towards the Corporal’s office. 

Just as her knuckles were about to rap against his door for the very first time; it creaked open, and she was met with Levi’s widened eyes. 

“Ah. I was just looking for you, brat.” 

She blushed, lashes flickering downwards as the color painted her cheeks sweetly. Following him back inside the office, her stomach was plagued with butterflies that never stopped fluttering around. Levi abruptly spun back to face her; his eyes glinting with a strange flame that lay unknown in Eden’s book. 

“I wanted to give you something,” he murmured, stepping closer to her. “Close your eyes.” 

Eden watched at him with wide eyes, unsure as to how she had to react. Levi’s head tilted to the side, the longer strands of raven-hair in sync with his movements. “Do you trust me?” 

She swallowed hard and barely managed to utter out a weak- “Sure?” 

His nod was the last thing she saw before slipping her eyes shut; nervousness overwhelming her. She listened to the way his boots echoed around the office; the sound of a door creaking open. Her palms grew sweaty and her heart was racing. 

His footsteps began growing closer, until she felt his presence burst through her personal space. “Give me your hand,” he instructed her in a creamy smooth tone that sent chills through her bloodstream. 

Eden did exactly that, feeling the way his fingers gripped at her wrist, guiding her hand outwards. She stiffened when her own fingers captured something that had the texture of hardened wood. Pulling her hand away, she jumped back, as though she had been burnt with fire. Levi was watching her intently, a broomstick in hand. 

“Go clean the stables.” 

Her dumbfounded expression was the only thing filling the silence for a very long moment. “Are you being serious right now?” 

Levi cocked a brow as he stepped forward, handing her the broomstick once more. “Am I ever ‘not serious’ about cleaning?” 

With a huff and the clench of her teeth, Eden snatched the broom out of his grasp before stalking out of his office- feeling even more outraged.

* * *

Cleaning seemed to do justice to her nerves. Being surrounded by nothing but dirt and things that needed to be organized tended to Eden’s thoughts and slowly she began feeling like each time she straightened out one part of the stables; another slice of her anger wore off somewhere into the distance. 

Not long after, gentle footsteps brushed against the stable floor, a sweet voice pulling Eden out of her daydreams. 

“Mikasa,” she greeted her childhood best friend warmly, walking over to rapidly throw her arms around her. 

The girl returned the sudden embrace before grabbing her by the shoulders, onyx eyes taking in her ragged appearance. 

“What happened? How was the mission?” 

Eden’s ears quickly grew red as she stepped back, nervously laughing. “What do you mean? Everything went fine? Why would you ask me that, heh...” 

Her defensive demeanor did not go unnoticed by the 104th Training Corps’ top soldier who in turn narrowed her eyes at the girl. Mikasa quirked a brow and a low sigh escaped through Eden’s lips. 

“The change of setting was pleasant. Everything went well. But, the man we met with was disgusting. He kept sending the most vile remarks my way; I don’t even wanna think about it. He was just gross.” She cringed at the memory as she spoke.

Mikasa glared at her friend, her arms folding across her chest. “And what? Captain Shorty just stood there and said nothing? Unbelievable...-”

“No no no!” Eden quickly interrupted her, rubbing the back of her neck as her cheeks grew pink. “He was the one who stepped in and warned Reeves not to speak to me like that. It was a nice gesture...” 

The girl opposite her stared into amber eyes, her own black ones widening as she extended one hand to point at her. “What’s with that look on your face, Eden?” 

Eden pursed her lips, trying her best to calm any raging blush that tried settling against her skin. “What look, Mikasa? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Blackened jewels for eyes narrowed even more. “You’re an open book to me; don’t forget that.” 

The sound of approaching boots crunched against the pebbles. Eden frowned deeply and Mikasa turned to glance behind her shoulder. Giving Eden’s arm a gentle squeeze, the female Ackerman gave her a faint smile before stepping away. 

“You’ll tell me about him when you’re ready.” 

Both Ackerman soldiers stiffly nodded as they passed each other. Eden stared at the Captain that inched closer; his bored stare bouncing from one surface to another. She waited for him to say something, but the man took his sweet time checking the stables and her work. 

“Did I do something wrong?” She finally couldn’t take it anymore, her frown carefully turning into a scowl as her eyes followed his moves. 

Levi slowly turned back to face her, his eyes finally resting against the frame of her face. “Yeah. Your cleaning is atrocious. Go over everything again.” 

Eden watched him walk away with her mouth wide open. When she was sure he was definitely out of sight, she swore loudly before kicking a bucket of water across the brushed-out ground. 

_Whatever. I gotta redo everything, anyway._

An hour later, he was back. His eyes were a softer shade of grey, but he still maintained his distance, much to Eden’s growing displeasure. 

With a tight nod, Levi approved her cleaning before jutting his chin towards the exit. “Let’s go. We’ll debrief with Commander Erwin.” 

She sulkily followed him out of the stables, albeit the way her heart melted when he sent her a sideways glance that disappeared as quickly as it arrived. 

* * *

This time, the Corporal led her into an unfamiliar office. The layout was definitely similar to Levi’s office; but the window behind the desk was larger and grander. Deep down, Eden preferred the comforts of Levi’s meticulously sterilized office more than Erwin’s one. 

The Commander stood to his feet when the pair walked in, brushing Eden’s salute away nonchalantly. His full height intimidated Eden and it took all within her not to visibly shrink in her boots.

“Captain Levi...soldier Chiasa...it’s good to see you’re back. I can safely assume everything went according to plan?” 

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Levi drawled out, scowling deeply at the way Erwin’s lips curved into a impish smirk. Eden chose to look down at her boots as Levi summarized the gist of their assignment to the attentive Commander who had leaned back down into his chair, his elbows resting against the wood of his desk, fingers linked together. 

His brows raised at the mention of Reeves’ attitude towards Eden. “When I send my Scouts out on a mission; I do not intend for such things to happen. However, sometimes it’s inevitable as there are all sorts of animals- not only beyond the walls; but within them too. And for that, I feel the need to apologize to you, Eden.” 

Her cheeks pinkened and she immediately looked down at the floor once more. “I understand that as soldiers, not all situations are pleasant. Regardless of whether it’s during a fight with a titan or when it's just having a simple conversation with a merchant. Thank you, Commander, but you don’t need to apologize. Captain Levi stepped in and put him in his place, anyhow.” 

When Eden looked up, she saw the same devious smirk plastered against Erwin’s features. His ocean eyes glinted under the faint light emitted from the several oil lamps situated around the room. She even got the chance to notice Levi’s sharp glower that was directed towards the blond man.

Erwin nodded and muttered something under his breath, his eyes flickering off the Captain and onto the perplexed girl. “Isn’t that wonderful? Well, thank you for the information and your presence. You’re dismissed, soldier. Levi, please stay behind.” 

Clasping her fist over her heart, Eden bid both men a good evening before walking out of the office hastily. 

Walking through the corridors, her mind couldn’t stop rewinding the look that was carved onto Erwin’s face; the twinkle in his eyes, the stretched out smirk against his lips and the way his eyes kept holding the Corporal’s stare before flickering back to her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!   
> Just wanted to pop up and let you all know that every single comment, kudo, bookmark and hit warms my heart up so much.   
> Reading through the comments and your opinions really makes me feel like I'm doing something right with the story!!   
> Also, I'm sorry that it took longer for the chapter to be up. A quick heads-up; this week I'm working the shift 3:45pm-12:30am and then next week I'm working from 6:15pm-3:00am so it will be a little harder to write; just because I was so used to finishing work earlier and having the evening dedicated to writing. Rest assured, you'll still get your updates asap and soon it'll all go back to normal when I'm back to working normal shifts smh.
> 
> Much love,  
> Niki


	23. Unveiled Confrontations

A few uneventful weeks decided to pass by. 

Although the aura was seemingly tranquil and serene; Eden suffered continuous mental blows that emotionally drained her to the point where she’d avoid human interaction as much as possible. 

She’d oversleep, train as hard as she could, grab a bowl of soup for lunch and then lock herself in her bedroom until someone came to call her for cleaning duty. 

But, it would never be Levi. 

That was the problem. After their time together in Trost; his demeanor completely shifted towards Eden. Distance settled comfortably between them and it was as though Levi was trying everything possible to keep away from her in the coldest of ways. 

Often, Eden would catch his leaden eyes stare at her face; but nothing more. 

She sat against the window sill in her bedroom; locked away from her comrades- eyes blank as she reminisced every single moment that had made her heart swell. 

Her heart clenched, this black, metal weight holding her down, flowing into every single inch of her body. 

Thinking back to the past several weeks- there had been only one instance in which she found herself in close proximity with the Corporal once more. 

Only one instance.

It was raining and Levi had felt even more melancholy within his heart and he projected seemingly it outwards by forcing his soldiers to train and run laps under the stormy glare of the sky. 

As Eden and her fellow grumbling friends waited to shuffle out of the dining hall; Levi had shoved past them all. Once he had reached her; his hand pressed against her waist, forcefully driving her to the side. 

She felt like her heart had stopped beating during that one fleeting moment. Albeit it not seeming like something one should dwell on; that instant had left a deep crack in her heart. 

Now- alone in the comforts of her hollow, darkened bedroom- Eden found herself laughing at the foolishness that had caused her to believe that perhaps she would be the one to smash through the fortification of Levi’s glacial demeanor. Her almond eyes became crevices that quickly filled with tears, burning her pupils. Leaning her head backwards to rest against the window sill, she let out a sob the reverberated deep inside her soul. 

The agony of all the memories, gentle touches, breathy sighs all came crashing down onto her feeble demeanor; sucking all the sanity out of her. 

She felt sick- not the type of sick that could be remedied by a warm soup and the pat on her shoulder. It was the type of nausea that grabbed her by the hair and submerged her entire head under ice-cold water. No matter how hard she thrashed against that glacial grip; she couldn’t pull herself back to the surface.

The inside of her body felt indifferent and detached. 

She ached to feel something other than frigidness. Her shoulders shook as she pulled on of her knees to her chest; letting her other leg dangle over the window sill. Resting her chin against the top of her knee, her crystal tears left dampened paths down her hollowed cheeks before gently plopping off her chin. 

She trembled, her face pale with hurt; her eyes blinded by the thick tears that reminded her how alone she was. 

The hand that was not engulfing her leg traced over the skin on her jawline before pressing stormily against her pouted bottom lip. His touch still felt fresh against her skin and she couldn’t help but imagine how her fingers were longer, more slender and calloused. 

The thoughts made her feel squeamish. But, she was okay with that. Eden wanted to feel something and any feeling would suffice if it meant pulling her mind away from that heavy burden chained up around her heart. 

Never had she thought such tender, ephemeral memories could knock her off her feet so easily. 

It was laughable, really. 

Disappointment painted over the somber girl from head to toe; and her mouth twisted into a lopsided smile, her bottom lip trembling as the tears continued spilling down endlessly. 

She should have seen it coming. The words rolled over and over again in her head, an endless loop that managed to cause her head to pound in the most agonizing of ways.

Much to her heart’s disappointment, Eden had even tried getting Levi’s attention by cementing some distance between her and Jean. He came to visit her multiple times and each time; she would find a way to push him away without directly hurting him. It pained her of course; but in her mind- the last moments outside the HQ in which Levi had confessed his distaste for her relationship with Jean really scarred into her thinking that this was the reason behind his aloof behavior. 

Then again, he didn’t seem to care, anyway.

Nothing made sense anymore. The sky wasn’t as blue as it was, the colors of the surrounding veil of trees weren’t bright. Everything was dull and grey and stupid and boring. Every bit of emotion that would etch against her face was forced. Her words were as sloppy as her thought process.

What was worse was when she’d try and sleep at night. That’s when regret would come visit her. It would blanket over her curled up figure, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, cackling loudly about how differently the outcome of this situation would have been if Eden would’ve just given her pride away a little sooner.

Anger coiled deep inside her and she wiped the tears away in frustration, huffing lightly. 

She didn’t have anymore time left to dwell on her sappy feelings because her bedroom door swung open. 

“Fuck!” Eden yelped, clutching her chest as she glowered at the two figures scurrying into her room. “You damn nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Exchanging humored glances, Sasha’s eyes twinkled at hers as she scooted next to the sitting girl. “Sorry! We just couldn’t have you feeling moody for no reason, we came to check up on you!”

Connie nodded his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled down at Eden. “Exactly. Besides...we’ve thought of a something that could hopefully cheer you up and we’re done practicing.”

Eden’s brow arched at him. “Practicing?” 

Both individuals nodded at each other; snickering as Connie pulled the potato girl to her feet. “Yeah, practicing. We’ve been working on perfecting everything about this for the past two days. Sasha even sneaked into my room last night- after curfew- to continue working on our masterpiece. Are you ready?” The boy cleared his throat before Sasha followed his queue. 

Eden perked up. To her extreme surprise, Connie began beatboxing to a rhythm that made absolutely no sense. Sasha swayed her body side-to-side, clapping her hands in sync with the frantic sounds Connie was making. The somber girl’s eyes widened.

_“Eden, Eden, Eden,_

_We don’t like it when you’re sad._

_It makes us really mad._

_Are you locked up in this room,_

_Because Jean isn’t the groom?_

_Or because Eren is just really angry,_

_That’s understandable, it even makes me hangry._

_Sorry for the weird rhyme,_

_We didn’t really have enough time,_

_But we wanted to sing you this song,_

_So you’ll get how wrong,_

_It is to be a sad...dong.”_

Her mouth parted as she sat, feeling utterly astounded and at loss for words. A weak smile stretched against her lips and she quickly began clapping. She began laughing, shaking her head at the gesture that had sweetened the taste in her mouth. 

Sasha and Connie winked at each other. 

“That was...wonderful. I don’t know what else to say. I can’t believe you did this for me.” 

Connie walked over to the window sill, pulling Eden to her feet before throwing an arm over her shoulders. “Don’t thank us. We did it because we just couldn’t stand the sight of your emotionless face. It’s just not the Eden we all love.” 

The other girl looped her arm through Eden’s and the three soldiers began ambling towards the door. “Yeah. Now let’s go for a little stroll on the horses. Some fresh air will do you some justice.” 

They tucked at the girl and their footsteps quickly falling into sync once they began descending down the stairs. Seeping through the entrance of the HQ were members of another squad team. Their footsteps faltered as they stood at the center of the staircase, watching the soldiers walk in- talking and laughing. 

Eden’s heart squeezed uncomfortably when Levi walked in, his uniform smooth and neat as always; but lacking the Survey Legion’s green cape around his soldiers. His steel eyes were trained ahead; a stoic mask concealing any sort of expression off his face. 

Besides him stood a woman; her hand on his elbow as she leaned in, talking within close proximity. Eden could tell his posture stiffened by her touch; but made no attempts to push her away from his personal space.

“Ooou, seems like Captain Levi’s got a little girlfriend,” Connie joked, earning a chuckle from Sasha; but Eden’s expression darkened. Her blood ran cold as she tried her very best to rip her eyes away from Levi, but to no avail. 

“Who is she?” Eden muttered under her breath, but loud enough for her friends to hear. 

“That’s Squad Leader Melody. She was due to visit sometime these days. Apparently, they’ll be going on some mission and they’ll be moving in and training here for the time being. Or, at least until they go over the plan with Hange and Levi, don’t really know the specifics...”

_Squad Leader Melody._

Eden spent the next several moments analyzing every single detail about this woman. Melody was shorter than the rest of her team- including the Corporal himself. But, there was something about the way she carried herself- confidence and intimidation practically oozing off her aura. 

Much to Eden’s discontent, she couldn’t lie to herself and call her unpleasant-looking. The Squad Leader was beautiful- her face young and innocent-looking albeit the scorching flame burning within her inky-colored eyes. She could tell this woman had been through hell and back during her time working for the Legion; but that didn’t seem to falter her beauty one bit.

Her body curved in all the right places and even the buckles of her ODM gear harness aided with accentuating that fact. Her eyes were large, lashes velvet and long; her nose perfectly sculpted, her cheekbones sunken whilst her jawline remained chiseled. Her plump lips curved into a playful smirk as she continued talking to Levi; earning a mere nod of affirmation in return. 

The main thing that caught Eden’s eye as soon as she walked in was her hair color. She had never seen anyone in the military with unnaturally dye-colored hair. Her wavy, lavender locks fell a little under her shoulders and they swayed every time Melody tilted her head even at the slightest of angles. 

And according to the words trailing out of Connie’s mouth; she was also a _very_ well-known soldier. Her kills and assists number skyrocketed the average Scout’s ones and her ability to think quickly during a moment of crisis gifted her with the title of being a Squad Leader.

Apparently, Commander Erwin had personally hand-picked her to be a leading member of the Scouting Legion- which in turn caused Levi to respect the Squad Leader and see eye to eye with her. 

Just as these fleeting thoughts zoomed through her brain, time seemed to slow as soon as cold, grey eyes settled against hot, hazel ones. She held his stare for a long moment before glancing at the way Melody had walked off in the direction of the dining hall. When Eden’s eyes met Levi’s once more; she could tell his expression was toying with her by the slight arch of his brow. 

Huffing under her breath, she stomped down the stairs, calling for her friends to follow. “There’s no point in sitting around and wasting time looking at _nothing_. Let’s go to the stables.” 

Eden would never be aware of the fact that although Levi was a step away from entering the dining hall himself; he had heard the way her voice had cracked- betraying all the hurt bottled up inside her. 

* * *

Spite and jealousy quickly transformed into Eden’s best friends during the next couple of days. 

Not only was Melody’s presence so heavy around Levi; but the Squad Leader’s interactions with him were undoubtedly flirtatious. She’d always linger around him and pull him into conversations regarding any topic imaginable. Her onyx eyes would gaze up at him through fluttering lashes and she’d smirk at him playfully when he snapped at anyone who had irritated him that same time. 

What annoyed Eden was that although his usually disinterested stare was all the more present; he’d never cut Melody off completely. It was as though he was perfectly fine with her feline-like attitude, coyishly trying to seduce the Corporal in the most distinguishable ways. 

Yet, the deed that pierced Eden’s heart the deepest was when his cool glare met hers. Her heart never stopped faltering during that first moment in which his eyes caught hers. They’d challenge her wordlessly- a speechless conversation always playing out between them. Levi’s stare would always shift away when Eden caught sight of his eyelids drooping slightly. 

But, other than that, Levi continued treating her like the rest of the cadets. 

Sitting around the table designated for her Squad’s members; Eden twirled the spoon through her soup, her gaze constantly flickering towards the table where the Captain, Hange, Melody and Commander Erwin sat and ate. 

Naturally, Melody was glued to Levi’s side as they spoke and the sight caused Eden’s stomach to flipping in disgust. 

Her lips pursed and any conversations happening around her fell on deaf ears. The grip she had on the metal spoon grew tighter and her knuckles grew white as hot rage slipped into her body, overwhelming and uninvited. 

Forcing her stare to flicker away; it immediately jumped back onto the pair of superiors as Melody’s fork poked at something on Levi’s plate. Eden’s teeth grinded behind closed lips and she felt like she could cry right there and then. 

Swearing at herself mentally; she was no fool to do such a ridiculous thing. But, that didn’t mean she couldn’t allow herself to bask in envy- especially when she couldn’t rid herself of that feeling ever since Melody’s squad moved into the Scouts’ old headquarters. 

Her heart dropped when Melody’s elbow brushed against Levi’s. Eden searched his face, trying to see whether even a twitch of emotion would crack through the impassive mask. 

She didn’t flinch when his turned to stare at her. Rather, Eden glowered at him; watching the way his eyes gleamed at her. To her absolute horror, he leaned into Melody’s touch the slightest bit, grey eyes never leaving hazel ones. 

It was as though Eden no longer had control over her own body. Her shaky fingers smashed the spoon against the table and her cheeks blushed when every one of her friends turned to look at her, confusion embellished upon each of their faces. 

“Sorry, it slipped. I’m not very hungry; I’ll meet you guys outside for training,” she mumbled out lamely, swooping her plate off the table before hurriedly walking out of the dining hall just as tears threatened to spill down her face once more. 

* * *

Her and Connie were paired together during sparring that same day. Eden was unbothered and Connie was in an all-too happy state. However, as soon as both parties caught sight of Captain Levi and Squad Leader Melody scrutinizing every pair; both Connie and Eden glanced at each other and began sparring properly. 

Approaching footsteps settled against the nearby ground as Melody’s glare fell upon Eden’s blank face. Cocking her head to the side, lavender locks swished with her movements, arms folding tightly against the Squad Leader’s chest. 

Suddenly, the older woman lets out a stiff snort. “What is with your stance, soldier? You look like you’re constipated.” 

Hazel eyes snapped to meet void, black ones and through gritted teeth, Eden said, “Sorry? What’s that supposed to mean?” 

At this point, Levi’s presence lingered around the three people; yet, his silence and disinterested expression made Eden feel even more aggravated. 

“You heard me. Aiden, was it? Your posture is way too rigid. Your movements are supposed to naturally flow out of you. I’m surprised you even made the cut for Levi’s Squad.” Melody’s voice pierced through her skull and Eden chose to glare at Levi. The man didn’t make eye contact with her, rather, he kept his stare levelled with the green scenery surrounding them; his lips pursed. 

She knew he had heard the words that has slipped out of Melody’s mouth. And the fact that he did not respond- even if it was a snarky one- caused the blood in her veins to boil. 

“No, it isn’t _Aiden_. I’m sorry if you think my posture is wooden; Captain Levi was the person who taught me the stances,” Eden retorted, her eyes glancing at the Corporal, hope glittering in her irises that he’d actually stand up for her. 

Finally, Levi’s head craned sideways to meet Eden’s hopeful physiognomy. 

“No, I taught you the _correct_ stances, brat. It’s not my fault you can’t remember simple instructions,” he replied sharply and the spark of hurt that flashed past Eden’s eyes did not remain unnoticed by him. 

“Blaming your own mistakes on your superior? That’s not very nice of you. I want you to work on everything you feel like needs improving and I’ll come check back on you later,” Melody arched a brow at Eden before walking towards the following pair. 

Levi sent Eden a sideways glance as he strode away, his lips downturned at strained. The girl could only look away at his retreating figure when Connie whacked her shoulder, pulling her reverie back into the present. 

It was as though something had snapped within her. All the anger, hurt and pain that had been tormenting her for the past couple of weeks finally found its way out. 

Unfortunately, it was Connie who had to suffer those blows. 

Eden was ruthless, grunting every time her friend blocked her punches, causing the fury to grow even more lucid. She beat him until he gave up, his chest heaving as he sent her a bloodied smirk, praising her stance as opposed to the way Melody had chewed her up and spat her back onto the dirt. 

From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Levi conversating with Melody, his arms folded across his chest as he stared ahead- towards her. 

“Everything okay? Connie looked like a mess,” Jean’s voice chirped out of nowhere beside her and she glanced towards him dully. 

Wrapping her arms around herself, she kicked at a stone with the tip of her boot, huffing awkwardly. 

“Yeah, all good. Squad Leader came complaining about my fighting skills and so I decided to sharpen them a little bit.” 

Jean let out a whistle, the blond strands of his hair bouncing with the wind. Eden was about to step away sluggishly; the heat of Levi’s sunken glare brushing against her frame. But, a larger part of herself kept her boots planted on the ground besides Jean. 

She missed him. She missed having someone to talk to. Someone who understood her completely. Someone who didn’t intimidate the hell out of her and genuinely expressed his feelings whenever it came to that. 

“I know you’ve been kinda off lately, but I’d love to spend some time with you,” the boy stated in a low voice, his head craned downwards, brown eyes intently searching Eden’s face. 

Swallowing hard, Eden met his gaze after a long pause. Fighting all of the screaming thoughts begging for her to walk away; she knew she couldn’t avoid the world only because the man she so desperately wanted to notice her wasn’t following the script. 

“I’m sorry about that. Do you wanna go for a walk then? We can climb the rooftop again and watch the sunset; just like we always do?” Eden asked him, a light smile plastering against her features.

He returned the grin- only his one was filled with pure elation and relief. 

They walked away from the training area side-by-side and Eden couldn’t help but glance back at Levi. 

As unsurprising as it was; the Captain was glaring towards her, his eyes squinted, revealing glimpses of irritation in her actions. 

Her shoulders moved as she huffed, her eyes coyishly looking him up and down before she snapped her head back to Jean. 

_Two can play the game._


End file.
